


Mini Clones

by BlackHunter666



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Brotherhood, Family, Gen, M/M, Secret Attacks, strange happenings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-14
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-01-04 14:09:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 54,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1081939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackHunter666/pseuds/BlackHunter666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something very strange is happening throughout the GAR. Soldiers are waking up and finding their lives turned upside down. How will they survive when it's suddenly so easy to get trapped inside their own helmets? Is anyone immune to this bizarre shrinkage? Sometimes the greatest frustrations come from places totally unexpected. Rated T for Language and Nudity</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Discovery

Groaning when he heard his alarm go off, Rex rolled over and reached to silence it but all he felt was softness. Eyes cracking open, he sat up and looked around as the automatic lights came up to the preset morning brightness. Something was wrong though, very wrong. The room was the wrong scale. Everything seemed so much bigger than it had been the night before.

Across the giant room, he could see his helmet sitting on the shelf where he'd put it after coming off duty last night. It too looked absolutely huge compared to him, like he could curl up along the air filters and be perfectly safe and comfortable there.  
'What the kriff?' he uttered, eyes widening as his usually strong, deep voice came out in a timid little squeak. 'What the kriff?'

Looking around again, he got to his feet and wobbled before falling to his knees. Trying again, taking it slower this time, he struggled to keep his feet on the softness under him. Perspective changed everything. He'd always though his pillow was so hard and lumpy but trying to walk on it was impossible. It was too soft and giving to let him have any proper balance. Crawling was hardly dignified but at least he made it across the pillow without falling flat on his face.

Reaching the edge of his pillow, he rolled and dropped to the mattress. The landing stung a little but it was nothing to really be worried about. Getting up, he looked around again. The wrinkles in the blanket towered against him, blocking his path across the mattress. Normally such things were trivial but some of the wrinkles in front of him were over his head, creating walls of harsh cloth to block his path.

Making his way carefully towards the edge and sinking to his knees, he peered down towards the floor so far below him. Just last night, he'd been able to sit on his bunk with his feet on the floor but today, it was a deadly drop to the hard deck. Given his current size, a fall like that would likely leave him as a bloody smear on the floor.  
'Okay, new plan.' he uttered, withdrawing from the edge of the bed. 'Think Rex, how do I get down off here? I need to get help but to get help, I have to get down and get my comm. So back to how do I get down from here?'

Crawling forward again, he looked down at the frame of his bunk, ignoring the long fall to the ground as he tried to work out how to get to the floor. There was no safe way down but perhaps there was a safe way across and up. His chances of reaching his wrist comm were minimal; it was up on the shelf near his helmet. But maybe he could get to the intercom on the wall near the door.

Getting right up to the edge of the mattress, he held tight to the sheet and slid over the side, trying to reach the rail holding his mattress in position. Finding the rail and making sure he wasn't too near the edge, he turned and headed towards his locker. Reaching the end, he looked up at the rail that led to the air vent on his locker.

Moving carefully so he didn't fall, Rex curled his tiny body around the square rail, fingers sinking into the little gaps on either side as he started to shimmy up the rail. It was a real effort to get up the rail, he kept slipping down again but bravely he refused to quit. Two steps forward, one step back, he battled up the vertical surface, gripping with his knees to help him make the exhausting climb to the air vents.

Breathless after just that climb, Rex looked over towards his next goal. He was just above the narrow name rail and only a few inches from the bottom of the air vents. Panting softly, he slid down a little and reached out with his left foot, trying to reach the name rail. Stretching out as far as he could, he managed to get one foot on the railing and started to reach with his hand when he slipped and lost his grip on the vertical rail.

Launching out, he managed to grab the name rail with both hands, catching his fall before he fell too far. Grunting with the impact against the locker door, he looked up and started shuffling along the rail; hand over hand to reach his goal. The going was tough but he had to make it to the comm. He had to summon someone to help him.

It seemed to take hours to get across the door but he made it, shoulders burning and fingers cramping as he finally dropped onto the decorative hand rail that ran around the walls. Pressing up against the wall, he picked his way along the narrow rail, eyes on the comm beside the door. He came close to falling a few times but he made it to the comm panel and grabbed the edge, securing his shaky position against the wall.

Keeping one hand on the anchor point he'd found, he shuffled over to stand in front of the comm. Turning the volume down since he was so close to the speaker, he shoved up against the activation button, hoping he was still strong enough to activate the damned thing. Everything had always been so easy; his life was the right size for him. But now, even the simplest jobs were a real challenge. Simply trying to activate the comm was a shoulder bruising power struggle.

Eventually he was rewarded with the chirp of an open channel and a chance to finally make some serious progress.  
'Commander Tano, could you come to my quarters please? I require some assistance.' he requested, trying to sound as close to normal as he could.  
"Sure Rex, I'll be right there." Ahsoka replied, seemingly oblivious to anything being wrong.  
'Thank you Commander.' Rex smiled, bruising his other shoulder before managing to shut the channel again.

Standing on the rail, clinging to the intercom panel, Rex considered what to do next. He could go back to the bed and wait for Commander Tano there but he couldn't see an easy way to get back to the name rail. So he stayed where he was, waiting so patiently for her to arrive and help him figure this one out. He'd never had to face anything like this, it was so unlike anything he'd ever heard about and he needed help to make sense of it.

It felt like an eternity but it seemed like a blink of his teeny eyes before the door chimed. Rex could only hope it was Ahsoka out there and not one of the guys coming to talk to him. Bracing against the panel, he prepared to try and open the door but Ahsoka beat him to it, using the Force to flick it open so she could enter.  
'Rex? Where are you?' she called, stepping into the room and letting it shut behind her.  
'Behind you, Commander. Look at the door panel!' Rex replied, waving to try and get her attention as she turned around.

Ignoring his naked state, Rex jumped to draw her attention, knowing he was pretty hard to see in his current state. Coming closer, Ahsoka stared in disbelief at the tiny figure of Rex. Ever so slowly so she didn't hurt him or knock him from his perch, she reached out with both hands and gently picked him up, enfolding his fragile form in her hands and bringing him to her chest.  
'Rex, what happened?' she asked, padding over to sit on his bunk.  
'I don't know. I woke up like this.' Rex shrugged, rubbing his temples quickly. 'Could you please shut off that alarm? I couldn't work out how to get up to it.'  
'Sure, I've got it.' Ahsoka nodded, instinctively protecting Rex against her shoulder as she turned and reached out to silence the blaring alarm.

Sighing softly as the noise stopped, Rex slumped back into Ahsoka's hands and ran both hands over his face. This was so wrong, he was supposed to protect her but here he was, sitting in her cupped hands. It didn't help that he was naked, every little detail on his miniaturised body on show for her.  
'What am I supposed to do now, Commander? I can't face the men like this.' Rex sighed, hands falling to his lap as he looked up at her. 'I doubt the General will appreciate this either.'  
'One problem at a time, Rex. First we need to find you something to wear.' Ahsoka replied, glancing around the room quickly. 'I don't suppose you have any scraps of cloth around here.'  
'There might be something in that drawer there. The guys keep bringing me tokens from battlefields, a way to remember where we've been.' Rex nodded, pointing to one of the drawers beside his armour rack.

Getting up and crossing the room, Ahsoka pulled the drawer open and peered inside before depositing Rex among the random items packed in the drawer. Climbing over some of the stuff neatly packed away, Rex found a neatly folded square of cloth, trying to get it out from under the stone it was pinned with. Reaching in, Ahsoka took the cloth from him and lifted the rock, drawing out the piece of brightly pattered blue and white fabric.  
'Coruscant, back before you joined us. We were assigned to protect a group of Senators. One of them gave a large piece of this cloth to Kix. He cut it up and divided it up among all of us that were there.' Rex explained, returning to Ahsoka' hand and climbing out of the drawer. 'My knife is over there, we'll need it to cut the cloth down to size.'

Grabbing the knife and returning to the bunk, Ahsoka sat down and smoothed out the rumpled bedding before unfolding the cloth and spreading it out. Picking the corner he wanted and measuring it out against his little body, Rex moved back as Ahsoka cut the corner out and looked around for a moment. Finding what she wanted on the shelf above the bunk, she deftly turned the hems and sewed the edges neatly, making her stitches as small as she possibly could.

Accepting the neatly hemmed cloth back, Rex smiled as he looked at the neat sewing before wrapping the cloth around his body in a sort of toga style. Knotting two corners over his shoulder and passing the rest around his body, he tied the other corners off around his waist and adjusted the fall a little. It wasn't perfect but it covered him comfortably and helped him feel like he was still part of the 501st. The colours were perfect, swirling in elegant patterns around him and centring a large patch of blue over his chest.  
'It's not the best but it'll do.' Rex shrugged, looking up at Ahsoka with a faint grin as his stomach grumbled. 'Breakfast, then we'll deal with the General.'  
'Glad to know some thing never change, Rex.' Ahsoka grinned, offering her hand. 'Come on, we'll figure something out.'

Making his way across the bed, Rex climbed into Ahsoka's hand and sat down, holding onto her thumb as she stood and headed for the door. The world he'd known for so long seemed so different from this new vantage point. Brothers he knew so well towered overhead, greeting Ahsoka warmly but no one noticed him.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Striding into the mess hall, Ahsoka hoisted Rex onto her shoulder and collected a meal for them both. Without thinking, she organised kaf as well. Most mornings she went for herbal tea but today, she had a feeling she would need something stronger to handle the trouble that would no doubt come from this. As an after thought, she also grabbed a spare small spoon, wondering if it would be the right size for Rex.

Sitting in her usual place and helping Rex down to the table, Ahsoka glanced around, watching the men for any signs of negativity. Most of them weren't paying her any attention and those that were looking seemed amused by what she was doing. Looking down at Rex and smiling, she shrugged faintly and stuck her spoon into the porridge on offer. She didn't really like it much but she'd seen Rex gulp it down before so she figured it was a good start for him.

Taking only the tiniest little bit on the edge of the spoon, she turned it to Rex, holding it steady for him. Returning her smile, Rex glanced around before taking a bite, trying to ignore the people that had noticed him.  
'Morning Commander.' Kix greeted, settling beside her and depositing his helmet sideways on the table. 'You two can come out now, its safe.'  
'Are you sure, Kix?' Jesse asked, poking his head out of the helmet.  
'This is so wrong.' Hardcase groused, appearing behind Jesse.  
'I see you've discovered our latest problem, Kix.' Ahsoka remarked, glancing down at Rex.  
'You knew about this, Sir?' Kix asked, seemingly relieved that he wasn't the only one that was dealing with little brothers.  
'At least I only have one to keep safe.' Ahsoka nodded, nudging her bowl out of the way to reveal Rex sitting there. 'He called for help earlier.'  
'So that's three we know of.' Kix grinned, watching what Ahsoka was doing and mimicking her.  
'I have a feeling this is just the beginning.' Ahsoka shrugged, dipping her spoon back into the bowl and offering it back to Rex.  
'You should eat something too, Commander.' Rex suggested, watching his fellow miniature brothers as they ate from Kix's spoon.  
'You eat your fill, Rex. I'll eat when you're done.' Ahsoka promised, stirring the kaf and thinking about how to make things easier for Rex and the other little clones.

Putting the spoon down when Rex was finished with the second offering, Ahsoka picked up the small spoon she'd grabbed and bent the bowl against the table before dunking it into her kaf. Tilting the spoon so the bent bowl wasn't too full, she offered it to Rex, chuckling as he came forward for his morning kaf.  
'You seem to have things well in hand there, Commander.' Kix mused, watching the way Ahsoka tended to Rex so attentively.  
'It's trust, Kix. Rex trusts me not to let him get hurt while he's in this situation and I trust him to tell me what he's had enough.' Ahsoka replied, one eye on Rex at all times.  
'Any ideas why or how this happened?' Kix asked, holding one spoon for his little brothers and tucking into his breakfast heartily.  
'Not a clue, Kix.' Ahsoka sighed, refilling the bent spoon and holding it back out to Rex. She held the handle loosely but not so loose that it could slip from her fingers. Rex figured it out quickly, using the handle as a lever so he could drink without spilling the kaf all over him.

Hunger satisfied, Rex stood and made his way along the table, getting a feel for what this new life meant for him. The life he'd known now seemed so scary, everything spiralling out of control around him. People that respected him as their Captain just ignored his tiny presence, laughing and joking as if nothing weird had happened. It hurt to know he was so easily ignored, he was supposed to be able to control these men. He was their Commanding Officer, they were supposed to listen to him. This was intolerable.

Looking up when someone else joined them at the table, Rex dropped his shoulders and waited to be ignored again. He was insignificant now, even his best brothers, men he'd known for so long, didn't see him in his new body.  
'Something wrong, Sir?' Fives asked, pushing his meal tray aside and leaning down to Rex's level.  
'Just sick of being ignored, Fives. You're the first one apart from Commander Tano to see me down here.' Rex shrugged, making his way across the table to sit on Fives' offered arm. 'I hate this.'  
'After everything we've been through together, do you really think I'd forget you?' Fives asked quietly, reaching for his belt and one of the treats he had hidden there. 'From the Rishi moon, to Kamino, the Citadel and back again. You've always been there by my side, watching my back.'  
'Not that I'll be doing much of that in my state.' Rex sighed, shaking his head slowly. 'Fek, I can't live like this for the rest of my life.'  
'Calm down, Sir. We'll find an answer, you just have to be patient.' Fives soothed, bringing his other hand over to lightly run one finger over Rex's back. 'Here, I know just what'll fix what ails you.'  
'You know what happened?' Rex asked, lifting his gaze slowly.  
'Okay, maybe not fix everything.' Fives shrugged, opening his fingers to reveal a small piece of choc-chip cookie. 'I know you, Sir. You've got the biggest sweet tooth of the 501st.'  
'Thanks Fives.' Rex nodded, managing a faint smile as he took the treat and settled back on Fives' arm to eat. 'While I'm indisposed, would you mind taking over for me vod?'  
'You want me to…I'm honoured, Sir.' Fives blinked, stunned to be handed the reins of the 501st.  
'You'll have to grab my command chip, no one will take you seriously without it.' Rex continued, looking up at Fives. 'But I think you'll be fine once everyone adjusts to the change.'

Looking over towards Ahsoka, Rex shook his head and sat back, returning his gaze to Fives. He still didn't like his new situation but with Fives to watch over him, he had a feeling everything would be okay. Fives would ensure his best interests were protected.  
'Something wrong, Sir?' Fives asked, catching the look in Rex's eyes.  
'You know how Commander Tano likes her kaf?' Rex asked, knowing Fives would figure it out.  
'What about my kaf?' Ahsoka asked, turning her full attention to the pair as she stirred her kaf.  
'It's weak and not enough sugar.' Fives replied, offering his hand to Rex and sitting up. 'Come on, I'll make us both a proper kaf.'  
'Here, you'll need this Fives.' Ahsoka called, sliding the bent spoon along the table to him.  
'Smart idea, Commander.' Fives chuckled, catching the spoon as it slid off the end of the table.

Setting Rex on his shoulder, Fives headed to join the slowly moving line to get his breakfast and a real cup of kaf for them to share.  
'Have you eaten, Sir?' he asked, ignoring the looks his brothers shot him. 'Apart from the sweet treat I gave you.'  
'I had a little bit. I wasn't really that interested and Commander Tano was being stingy.' Rex replied, drawing even more attention to them.  
'We can't have that.' Fives laughed, reaching up to collect Rex off his shoulder.

Jumping off Fives' hand and landing on the servery, Rex felt the stunned gazes of his brothers landing on him. Straightening up, hands clasped behind his back, he proceeded to pace the frozen line, looking up at his brothers with that hard command stare they all knew. He only needed to go three ahead and four behind Fives to be certain the word would pass about his condition. Satisfied that the 501st would all soon be aware of the mini-clones about the cruiser, Rex returned to Fives and settled back on his hand.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Far away from the Resolute and unaware of the situation there, General Obi-Wan Kenobi, famed negotiator and dignified Jedi Master, couldn't help but stare at what had been presented to him. Boil and Waxer were standing across the holotable from him, holding six miniature clones lightly in their arms. Crouching down, they released the six onto the table and moved back a little, waiting to see what the General said.

Sinking down to one knee, Obi-Wan came eye level to the group, completely baffled by what he was seeing. This small, it was impossible to be absolutely certain who was in front of him. He couldn't see the little details he used to recognise his troopers. Their lack of armour didn't help either. Instead they were all wearing strange little wrap around garments.  
'Don't you recognise us anymore, Sir?' one asked, turning his head to the left to reveal the scar by his eye. It was hard to see but Obi-Wan had it now.  
'This is most unusual Cody.' Obi-Wan sighed, trying to sort out the rest of the men standing on the holotable. 'How did this happen?'  
'We don't know Sir.' Chopper replied, his scars more noticeable when he moved out of direct light.  
'We woke up like this.' Sketch added, half-hugging his abdomen nervously.  
'We were lucky to attract Waxer's attention.' Punch nodded, draping one arm around Sketch's back.  
'Can you fix this, Sir?' Jester asked, looking up at him timidly.  
'Please Sir, we don't like this.' Gus sighed, wrapping his arms around Jester for comfort.  
'Sir, we need a solution to this mess. This cruiser is big enough when we're the right size. From down here, it's practically Coruscant in my quarters.' Cody shrugged, turning his gaze to his shrunken brothers. 'I don't want to think about how bad it was in the barracks. Especially the top bunks. At this size, a fall from the bunks would undoubtedly prove fatal.'  
'Don't say that, Sir.' Jester yelped, diving behind Gus for safety. 'I don't want to think about that sort of thing.'  
'At least you managed to get attention from your bunks. I had to get my door open and scream until Boil noticed me clinging to the external door controls.' Cody replied, rubbing his forehead lightly.

Jumping when the holocomm signalled an incoming transmission, the six little clones froze for a moment before running for the nearest full sized friend. Chopper, Gus and Punch went for Boil, Waxer had to think fast to catch Sketch and Jester. Too far from his brothers, Cody sprinted as fast as he could across the surface and scrambled up onto the controls before he was collected by Obi-Wan and swung onto his shoulder.  
'The holocomm didn't look that big before.' Cody muttered, gently catching hold of Obi-Wan's hair to help him keep his position.

Soothing Cody with a light touch, Obi-Wan summoned a smile when Ahsoka and Anakin flickered into holographic being beside the holocomm.  
'Good morning to you both.' Obi-Wan greeted, wondering how long it would take either to notice Cody on his shoulder.  
"Morning Master Kenobi." Ahsoka chirped, glancing back over her shoulder for a moment.  
"Morning Obi-Wan." Anakin added, turning to look over his shoulder as Fives appeared beside them. "Fives, where is Rex? He's late for the briefing."  
"He's right here Sir." Fives replied, holding out his helmet. Every so carefully, he tipped it forward over their holocomm, depositing three tiny clones on the display. "No one seems to know what happened, all three woke up like this."

Jaw dropping in disbelief, Cody vaulted off Obi-Wan's shoulder and rolled to a stop on the holocomm, a little dizzy but uninjured. Eyes widening in disbelief, Rex stepped forward and looked Cody over, stunned that another brother had been shrunken down to such a ridiculous size.  
'Don't even ask Rex, I don't have a clue what happened. At least you've only got two others down to this scale. I've got a full Squad out of action with this.' Cody sighed, indicating the group as they were gently set back on the holocomm.  
"Well, we now know one thing about this weird shrinkage. It's not just centred on the Resolute." Rex shrugged, glancing to the side as Jesse and Hardcase came up beside him. "So much for this being an isolated incident."  
"Captain Rex gave me temporary command of the 501st until we figure it out." Fives added, tucking his bucket under his arm again.  
'This is most troubling. We should contact as many other fleets as we can. This could become a serious problem if it is throughout the GAR.' Obi-Wan suggested, looking down at the two groups of mini-troopers standing around.

Turning again when Tup skidded towards the briefing, Anakin was ready to reprimand the junior trooper for interrupting but the reprimand died on his lips when Tup gently deposited yet another mini-clone among the others before leaving the briefing room quickly.  
"Kix? You were fine at breakfast, what happened?" Ahsoka asked, bending down to get a proper look at him.  
"I don't know, Commander. One minute I was on my bunk checking my equipment, the next I was stuck inside my medpack. Thankfully Tup came to talk to me and found me before anything untoward happened." Kix replied, darting over to stand with his brothers.  
'Are you saying that you didn't wake up small?' Obi-Wan asked, stunned by this news.  
"That's correct General Kenobi. I was full sized at breakfast, I was the first to find Jesse and Hardcase after they were shrunk." Kix nodded, glancing at his brothers.  
'This is very troubling indeed.' Obi-Wan sighed, looking around at all the mini-clones standing around. 'The briefing can wait Anakin, we should pass word of this to the other fleets. I will contact the Temple and inform them of this as well.'  
"I will inform all fleets that I can reach, Obi-Wan." Anakin nodded, equally worried about what was going on but he had no idea how to fix the problem.


	2. Revelations

Calming the five little clones that had taken refuge with him, General Koon deposited them on the holocomm and activated the connection. Within minutes, they were surrounded by confused Jedi and so many mini-clones. Courage deserting them, the Wolfpack withdrew towards their General, stunned to see so many of their brothers taken down to their size. Coming down to their level, General Koon calmed their fears and coaxed them back out to see who else was stuck so far below their usual height.

Slowly the stunned clones relaxed, wandering around the holocomms and talking quietly to learn all they could about each different case of shrinkage. Many of the reports were similar, clones that had woken up tiny and then had to figure out how to draw attention. Some had different stories of contact with the mini-clones before they too found out what the galaxy was like from six inches above the ground.

Amongst the Generals, baffling the Jedi with his story, Fives seemed to be the only one that wasn't following the trend. He'd been personally taking care of Captain Rex for the last week and yet he was still standing at his full height. So far he was the only one that was immune to whatever was causing this.

It wasn't just the fleets out in the galaxy that had been affected either. All the way from Coruscant, Master Windu presented with several members of the Coruscant Guard. With their presence, theories of this being something to do with damage to the cruisers were thrown out the window. Whatever this was about, it as only against clones and picked targets at random.

So far thirty-three mini-clones had been found and new, thrice-daily roll calls and a buddy system made sure any more shrunken clones were noticed quickly and gathered up before they were in any danger. In just this group, there were stories of stamina and a desire to reach help, stories of close calls and lucky rescues and even stories of daring escapes from the ground to the safety of friends.

Leaning lightly on their holocomm, Barriss smiled as she watched Gree interacting with his fellow Commanders. It was good to see him relaxing again after the fright he'd gotten that morning.  
"Something wrong, Barriss?" Ahsoka asked, watching Rex as he showed off his garments to his brothers so they could catch onto the idea.  
"Just thinking about how close Gree came to the end this morning." Barriss replied, reaching out to stroke Gree's back when he looked up at her. "I very nearly stepped on him."  
"You are not the only one to have come close, Barriss. Bly was lucky to miss my boot when he first went down." Aayla added, smiling faintly as Bly wandered over to examine what Rex was wearing.  
'Commander Wolffe was lucky, he was able to grab my boot before he was kicked. It was hard to ignore him when he started climbing my leg.' Koon remarked, looking across the table to where Wolffe was also examining Rex's garments. 'You seem to have a winning outfit design there, Captain Rex.'  
"I had some help, Sir. Commander Tano helped find the cloth and cut it to size." Rex replied, allowing his brothers to look their fill and showing how he had his single square garment wrapped and knotted to cover him so neatly.

Uncomfortable about towering over his brothers, Fives went to his knees, peering over the edge of the holocomm at a level more consistent with what his brothers were dealing with. They were so right. From down here, the Jedi gathered around were frightening, towering so high over the top of the holotable.  
"I still think the best thing we can do is isolate those that have been affected by this. It is spreading through the ranks. Boil and Waxer were full sized at the start of the week but within days of touching the other six affected personnel in the 212th, they too were shrunk." Obi-Wan sighed, shaking his head slowly as he tried to come up with a solution.  
"Kix, Tup and Dogma all have the same issue. Kix was caring for Hardcase and Jesse before he was caught up in it too. Tup found Kix stuck in his pack then Dogma found Tup trapped under his helmet. Fives located Dogma in his locker when he missed a roll call." Anakin nodded, keeping a sharp watch over his men.  
'But where can we send them that they will be safe? From their perspective, everywhere is dangerous.' Koon replied, trying to think of any place that they would be safe. 'The galaxy is not designed for people this small.'  
"What about at the Jedi Temple, surely there would be a place there that they could all stay in safety." Aayla suggested, her focus swinging towards Master Windu.  
"I already suggested that to Master Yoda. He is against the idea." Windu replied, looking down at all the clones on the holocomms. "He believes they would be better off away from all mentions of the war, until this is sorted out."  
'So that rules out the Coruscant barracks…what else is there available?' Wolffe asked, straightening the full Kama he was wearing to hide his nudity.

Hiding his face in his hands as he groaned, Rex looked down at what he was wearing and swore softly. The answer had been staring him in the face since he'd first shrunk and he hadn't seen it. He knew where they would be welcome, away from mentions of the war and safe against the dangers of the galaxy.  
"Senators Organa and Amidala." Rex blurted out, looking around at his brothers.  
"What about them, Captain?" General Unduli asked, turning her attention to him.  
"Back during the first year of the war, the 501st were on station on Coruscant when there was big trouble at the Senate. Commander Fox and his Guards got most of the glory but we were recognised for saving Senators Organa and Amidala from the trouble. Afterwards, they both said that if there was ever a way for them to help us without them going against their beliefs about the war, all we had to do was ask." Rex explained, looking up at the Jedi and waiting for them to figure it out. "This is exactly the sort of situation they can help with. It's got nothing to do with fighting the war, they don't have to compromise on their beliefs."  
"That solves the problem for the 501st but what about the rest of us?" Bly asked, not impressed with the suggestion. "Look at the big picture, Captain."  
"I am, Sir. Between all of us, 33 miniature clones, we don't take up a lot of space and we don't have the huge appetites clones are known for. They'll hardly even know we're around." Rex shot back, refusing to be silenced now that he had an idea.  
"We can't ask Senators to stay at home and watch over us, Rex. They've got their own duties to worry about." Cody shrugged, wanting to be sure his brother knew what he was suggesting and how inconvenient it would be for the Senators.  
"Sir, I know you picked me to lead the 501st while you were dealing with this but if I'm one of the few that can be in contact with you all without ending up small, maybe I could be best used as a guardian for all of the mini-clones." Fives suggested, cancelling Cody's argument and giving hope to Rex at the same time.  
'Perhaps it would be worth contacting Senators Organa and Amidala to see if they can help with this.' General Koon agreed, at a loss for what else to do about the mini-clones.

Only paying partial attention to what the Generals were discussing, Fives watched his brothers and thought about all that would be needed to care for them if the suggested plan came together. Ahsoka had come through with a few basic supplies for the little ones of the 501st but there was still a lot that needed to be sorted out for them. They each had their own tiny eating set, lovingly made by Ahsoka from bent cutlery that wasn't any good for anything else really. Miniature bunks had been made from scrap metal and mattresses from a spare bodysuit stuffed with hair from the onboard barber. Sheets made from requisitioned underwear, blankets from doubled up sections of regulation sheets and pillows made from single layers of sheet and stuffed with more hair. General Skywalker had even made up a tiny version of a 'fresher for the group, creating two toilets and three shower cubicles in just the right size. It hadn't been easy to get it working but now it was operational, the six mini-clones of the 501st really loved it.

Snapped out of his thoughts by a soft hand against his face, Fives smiled and offered his hand, welcoming Tup to rest where he was safest. This was something else they'd all noticed about the mini-clones - they tired much faster than anyone else. Normally, pulling an 18-hour day was easy but Fives had been keeping track and after just eight hours, they were ready for a nap. Rex could stretch it to nine-and-a-half but he didn't try too hard to push it. Tup was one of the youngest, he'd only been with the 501st for a few months, so Fives wasn't surprised that he kept coming back to curl up against the abused armour of his friend and temporary caretaker when he was tired.

Noticing that Dogma and Jesse were both showing signs of being ready for their naps as well, Fives quietly called his charges back to him, scooping them up one-by-one and settling them about his person. Jesse and Kix went onto his left shoulder, Dogma settled beside Tup in his left hand and Hardcase and Rex went onto his right shoulder.  
"If you'll excuse me Generals, it's time these ones went down for their naps. Commander Tano knows exactly what I mean." Fives offered, dipping his head before leaving the meeting with his precious little charges.  
"We've noticed that the six mini-clones we have are unable to pull the long shifts they used to manage. Eight hours seems to be the average before they get too tired to concentrate on anything." Ahsoka explained, glancing over her shoulder. "We're not sure why they're struggling to do more than eight hours before needing sleep."

~!~#~O~#~!~

Looking up from his reading when his door chime sounded, Fives slid off his bunk and stood, padding over to open the door. One of the perks of being an ARC trooper stationed onboard a cruiser - he got private quarters and the respect of having everyone wait to be let into his quarters. It didn't matter who it was, everyone waited for him to grant them permission to enter.

Opening the door, he was a little surprised to see General Skywalker and Ahsoka both standing there. That was strange, General Skywalker never normally came down here, instead he would call Fives to his location. Even stranger, the General was holding a portable holocomm. Fives hadn't even realised they had one onboard.  
'Come in, Sirs. Just please be quiet, the others are still resting.' Fives nodded, moving aside and padding over to check on his sleeping companions.

Their bunks were neatly arranged down by the foot of his bed, tucked out of the way where no one could accidentally trip over them. Rex, Dogma and Hardcase had the top bunks with Jesse, Tup and Kix content to be underneath. Their private 'fresher was hooked up in the corner of Fives' private 'fresher, the door always locked open so they had constant access.  
'Actually, that's what we came down here about. Senators Amidala and Organa are waiting for confirmation of the story we told them. They don't believe this idea of mini-clones.' Anakin explained, setting up the portable holocomm in the middle of the room.  
'I'll wake Rex but you know he's not going to be happy about this.' Fives sighed, creeping towards the neat bunks.

Crouching down, he reached out and used two fingers to lightly nudge Rex, fully prepared for an angry outburst at being woken too early. They'd only had two hours to sleep, Rex liked at least three before having to face the giant world around him again.  
'This better be good Fives.' Rex growled, one eye cracking open to glare up at him.  
'It is, Sir. Senators Amidala and Organa want to talk to you.' Fives uttered, careful not to wake anyone else just yet.  
'Alright, give me a minute here.' Rex sighed, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Straightening his makeshift tunic and stretching, Rex climbed onto Fives' hand and knelt, reaching out to fix his bed before sitting back. Bringing Rex close to his chest, Fives stood and returned to the portable holocomm, hoping that this conversation turned out to be helpful.  
'Where's your mug, Rex?' Ahsoka asked, indicating the mug she was holding in both hands.  
'In my locker. Fives has the dip spoon, it'll do.' Rex shrugged, pointing back down towards the bunks on the floor.

Reaching back to his over bunk shelf, Fives retrieved the bent spoon and dunked it into Ahsoka's mug. Draining a little bit out, he held it for Rex, waiting for the complaint on the strength and sweetness this time. Ahsoka just couldn't make a decent cup of kaf.  
'This is good, Commander. You've been paying attention.' Rex praised, sipping the kaf and getting comfortable. 'Strong and sweet, it's almost perfect.'  
'Too strong and sweet for me, Rex.' Ahsoka replied, holding the mug steady for Fives. 'When you've had enough, Fives can finish it off.'  
'Appreciate that, Commander.' Fives nodded, going back for another spoonful for Rex.

General Skywalker moved to shadow the bunks as the holocomm blazed to life, revealing the Senators to the team.  
"You have kept us waiting long enough, General Skywalker. Where are these mini-clones you were talking about?" Senator Organa asked, looking straight at Anakin.  
'Right here, Sir.' Rex replied, draining the spoon again and waving it away. 'over here, in Lieutenant Fives' hand, Sir.'  
"There really are mini-clones in the ranks.' Senator Amidala uttered, leaning closer to better see Rex. "How did this happen?"  
'We still don't know, Senator Amidala. It's been a week since the first few woke up this small and we are no closer to an answer.' Fives replied, standing and coming closer to the holocomm. 'Across the GAR, we have 33 that I know about.'  
"General Skywalker mentioned six in the 501st, where are the others?" Organa asked, staring at Rex in disbelief.  
'They're sleeping at the moment. Ever since the change, we have been getting tired much faster, eight hours and we're looking for a place to sleep for a bit.' Rex briefed, pointing towards General Skywalker. 'If the General would be kind enough to move, you should be able to see our bunks.'  
"Did you make all of this for them, Lieutenant?" Amidala asked, peering at the tiny bunks and the sleeping mini-clones.  
'We pulled together to make it, Senator. General Skywalker even made a miniature 'fresher unit for them, it's in my private 'fresher and works perfectly.' Fives nodded, hoping she didn't ask to see it.

Disturbed from their sleep by the light of the holocomm, the other five little clones sat up and looked around, wondering what had interrupted their sleep. Gently handing Rex to Ahsoka, Fives crouched beside the bunks and guided the rest of the group to settle back again.  
'Its okay guys, go back to sleep. The Senators Rex mentioned wanted to see what was going on, that's all. Shh, settle back and rest, there will be time to discuss it later.' Fives soothed, tucking them in lightly and watching over them as they settled down again.  
"You are certainly attentive to their needs, Lieutenant." Organa remarked, his attention going back to Rex for a few moments.  
'I seem to be the only one immune to whatever is causing this problem. Kix, Tup and Dogma all shrunk after contact with another mini-clone but after a week of tending to these six, I'm still full sized. No one knows why I'm not affected but we're all glad that someone can help our little brothers with this.' Fives explained, leaving the other five to sleep and smiling faintly as Skywalker moved to shade their bunks again. 'It's not always this easy but I'm getting the hang of it now.'  
'Without Fives to help us, it's doubtful we would have survived the last week. It's dangerous enough on a cruiser when we're full sized. From down here, it's positively terrifying.' Rex added, launching off Ahsoka's arm to land back in Fives' caring hold.

Watching the way Fives so patiently allowed Rex to share his kaf and sit wherever he so pleased, the Senators nodded as they looked at each other. The way Fives tended to his affected brothers eased their concerns. It was clear that he loved them and would let no harm befall any of them while he was on watch.  
"We have found a suitable apartment where Fives and his brothers could stay. It's in the Senate tower so perhaps not ideal but it's the best we could find. They will all be safe there, no one else will know the story of why there are miniature clones living among Senators." Organa nodded, amazed by how tender Fives was with Rex.  
"Although we're not exactly sure what you will need, the apartment will be stocked with basic supplies and if you need anything else, credits will be provided." Amidala added, her gaze drifting towards Skywalker for a moment.  
'I do have one request, Senators. I understand that assistance droids are common on Coruscant but for the sake of keeping the peace in the apartment, perhaps it would be wise to remove any droids from the apartment. I might be a soldier but I know how to keep a clean house, prepare meals and tend to most daily situations.' Fives offered, glancing down at Rex.  
"I understand, Lieutenant. I will personally see that the droids are removed from the apartment." Amidala replied, watching Rex settle and get cosy against Fives' chest.  
'You have our thanks, Senators.' Fives replied, dipping his head respectfully. 'Come on Rex, back to bed with you.'  
'I'm good right here.' Rex uttered, burrowing closer to Fives' chest and getting comfortable.

Retrieving a spare blanket from the end of his bunk, Fives tucked Rex in against his chest and shaded him from the light of the holocomm behind his left arm. Ignoring his kaf, Fives came across as an attentive parent, his own discomfort forgotten as he made sure Rex was safe and comfortable in his rest.  
'Fives, how long would it take for you to organise your charges to head for Coruscant?' Skywalker asked, turning to regard the busy clone.  
'Without disturbing anyone? At least another hour for them to sleep and then probably 45 minutes to get everyone cleaned up and all our belongings packed up.' Fives replied, looking around at his quarters quickly. 'Less time if I'm not staying with them.'  
'You'll be staying with them, Fives. No one else can be near them without ending up in the same situation.' Anakin replied, glancing back down at the sleeping group.  
'I could probably cut it down to 30 minutes if I get organised while the boys are sleeping but there's a risk I'll wake them. What takes time is getting them all dressed and making sure they have all their things. Their belongings are so tiny, it's easy to lose things.' Fives shrugged, careful not to disturb Rex.  
"We will finish preparations and be ready for whenever you arrive, Lieutenant." Organa offered, dipping his head.  
'Of course, Senators.' Fives replied, coming to attention and trying to hard not to wake Rex. 'Thank you for your help.'


	3. Coruscant

Kind of glad that it had been decided to use the Twilight to deliver the group to Coruscant, Fives honestly couldn't say he was against this holiday. Most probably wouldn't consider it a proper holiday but Fives had learnt to appreciate any time away from the fighting. It was a chance to catch his breath and relax before plunging into the death and destruction again. It gave him time to remember his Squad-brothers and all he'd lost to the war.

Shaking off such thoughts, Fives looked at the stockpiles of equipment that were being delivered to the apartment with the first group. Not only did his first six charges have all their handmade supplies and everything else but Commander Tano had spent the entire flight making even more stuff for the mini-clones. Not only for her six friends but for all 33 mini-clones known to exist. She made each one a tiny eating set and several outfits each before it was all packed away in lockers and footlockers that Fives had been working on making in one corner of the hold.

During the hyperspace journey, General Skywalker had gotten involved in the building as well, coming out of the cockpit and sitting down with crates of supplies to build enough 'freshers for all of the little ones to have their own. Artoo helped with those, his many hidden accessories extremely useful for the delicate work.

Ahsoka was proving to be a thoughtful young woman, producing basic items that everyone else forgot about. Using scraps of different metals and plastics, she made tiny little bathing kits for everyone. The first six tested everything out, making sure it worked and was the right size for them. Tiny razors and combs were gratefully accepted, the delicate little toothbrushes went down a treat and the absolutely miniscule nail clippers were greatly appreciated. Working with scraps of metal the right size for them, the six mini-clones went at a regulation bar of soap, cutting out pieces the right size for their hands and stacking them away safely in an empty footlocker.

Finished with the metal work, Fives turned his attention to three donated towels. Calling on Kix to help for a few moments, he worked out the right size again and started cutting out mini towels, stacking them neatly to the side until he'd cut all three towels into almost 100 suitable for his little brothers. Then he went back over them all, turning the hems and sewing them neatly. Every clone knew how to suture injuries in the field; this was just another use for such skills.

Taking a break from the delicate work she'd been doing with the Force, Ahsoka turned her attention to the neatly cut piles of cloth stacked in another crate. Smoothing out each piece, she sewed the sweet little clothes, turning out pants and shirts in a variety of colours and patterns. Brothers from across the 501st had donated cloth for the project, digging into gifts they'd been given along the way to provide their little brothers with an extensive wardrobe to choose from.

Thumping a painkiller shot into his shoulder to deal with the headache he was really starting to notice, Fives kept up with the towels, practically going cross-eyed as he sewed the hems and made sure each one was neat. Leaving the soap work, Rex ran across the hold and looked at the pile of finished towels before starting to fold them neatly. Fives was just dropping them on the pile, planning to fold them later but Rex took on the job, allowing Fives to relax a little.

Finishing off the last 'fresher unit, General Skywalker took a few minutes to test each one was working properly before packing them all away in crates until they were needed. They were easy enough to hook up; the apartment on Coruscant had already been modified to hook up the first one and the rest simply connected in sequence from that. Digging into another box of readied parts, Skywalker started making up the rows of sinks and mirrors that would be hooked onto the 'freshers and connected up using a pair of tweezers so the guys could wash up and shave as needed.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Entering the prepared apartment after the stark hold of the Twilight felt like stepping into a completely new galaxy. The walls were adorned with expensive looking artworks and painted in a soothing pale blue with a simple white detail at waist level around the walls. The couch and armchairs were done in soft grey and looked to be very plush. The floors were covered in soft yellow carpet; Fives could feel it giving under his boots as he headed for the low slung black table near the couch.

Carrying the six little clones inside, Fives set them safely on the couch before heading out to help with bringing in all the cargo containers that were stacked in the hold of the Twilight. Most of them went into the spare bedroom until they were needed but those marked with a dark blue spot were taken into the master bedroom to be unpacked first. Along with the crates for the first group of little brothers, Fives deposited his own footlocker and pack on the big bed, he'd figure out where to put all of his stuff later.

Trooping back and forth, it took nearly an hour to bring everything inside and stack it all away safely. Fives honestly doubted he would need all of the supplies but he wasn't going to turn any of it down. He didn't know what the future would bring, there was no way of telling just how far this whole mess would go or how many brothers he would end up caring for.

With a quick series of goodbyes and promises to keep the Jedi in the loop, Fives locked the door to the balcony and landing pad combination before retrieving something from one of the crates in his bedroom. It was a specially made folding barrier of strong wire mesh. Unfolding it, he created a semi-circle in front of the door onto the balcony and secured the barrier to the walls on both side of the door. At eighteen inches high, it was perfect for keeping his brothers from places they weren't supposed to be. 

Rigging up a second barrier around the main doors into the suite, Fives returned to the couch and knelt, resting his chin on the soft cushions and watching his brothers relax.  
'Okay, so long as you stay on this side of the barriers, you'll be perfectly safe. I've already looked over the apartment from one end to the other, all the doors are locked open and any potentially dangerous area marked off. I know you guys hate the restrictions but it's for the best.' Fives briefed, hating the thought of any of his brothers getting hurt on his watch. 'I'll set your bunks up in the master bedroom, there's a low shelf there that should be perfect. While I'm doing that, feel free to explore and get to know our home.'  
'We'll be careful, Fives.' Tup promised, using him for a ladder to get down to the soft carpet before he ran off with Dogma.  
'You already made sure the place is safe, relax Fives.' Kix suggested, leading his brothers down to the floor and heading out to explore.  
'Everything will be fine now, Fives. Try and enjoy this time away.' Rex guided, making his way across the couch. 'And just until we figure this out and I get back to my right size, let's drop the ranks. I don't think I'll mind just being Rex for a while.'  
'Sounds like a plan, Rex.' Fives nodded, depositing Rex on the floor and heading for the master bedroom to organise things.

Heaving his footlocker into one corner near the bed and unpacking the rest of his soft clothes into the provided wardrobe, Fives turned his attention to the low shelf running along the wall and the two crates waiting to be unpacked. There was enough space for extra bunks along the shelf and they were close by if anyone needed him for anything.

Popping the crate open, he lifted out the carefully packed bunks and lined them up on the extremely low shelf that ran along the bottom edge of the wall, just a couple of inches off the floor. Straightening out the bedding and fluffing up the pillows, he turned his attention to the rest of the stuff in the crates. Out came their handcrafted little footlockers, each one set in place with the utmost of care. Then came the wardrobes, arranged in a neat row amongst the bunks. Next was the delicate little clothes line, lovingly handcrafted by Ahsoka so the guys had somewhere to hang their laundry now that they had multiple outfits to wear. Unwrapping the next items carefully, Fives arranged the table and chairs neatly at the other end of the shelf.

Out of the second crate came the miniature 'fresher which Fives carried through and hooked up in the corner of his 'fresher. Beside this, he set up the little towel rack that Ahsoka had made and the matching shaving stations for his brothers. Beside the first 'fresher in the line, he set up the mini laundry, connecting up the water and power and running a quick test to make sure everything was working properly. In one corner between two of the washers, he deposited a pile of the cutest little laundry baskets and using tweezers, he placed little boxes of soap power above each machine. Grinding down regulation powder to suit these little machines hadn't been easy but with some help from some of the other guys onboard, they'd done it.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Cleaning up the kitchen after lunch, Fives turned when the door chime sounded. Stacking the last dishes in the rack and drying his hands, he headed for the door, eyes on the floor so he didn't accidentally kick anyone.  
'Where are you guys?' he called, needing to know before he faced whoever was at the door.  
'Everyone's on the couch relaxing!' Rex called back, his particular squeak unmistakeable to Fives.  
'Stay there, we've got company.' Fives warned, opening the door and freezing at the sight of General Fisto standing in the hallway.

Training kicking in, Fives bolted to attention and ripped off a salute before he realised the General was holding an open crate.  
'At ease, Lieutenant. General Windu was busy so he asked me to escort the Coruscant Guard mini-clones into your care.' Fisto explained, indicating the crate in his hands.  
'Of course. Please, come in Sir. Here, I'll take them.' Fives nodded, accepting the crate and peering inside. 'Welcome to you all, the others will be glad to see you.'

Huddled together in the little space that was left among the other stuff in the box, five nervous mini-clones looked up at him. They were dirty and obviously exhausted but whoever had rigged up this box hadn't considered the basics of mini-clone care. Their bedding was a pile of rags in one corner and Fives couldn't see a 'fresher of any sort in the crate.  
'Sir, how long have these five been in here?' Fives asked, stepping over the barrier and heading towards the master bedroom.  
'Since General Windu took charge of them, I think. Why do you ask Fives?' General Fisto shrugged, looking around at the apartment as he stepped over the barrier.  
'That's about what I thought. These men smell like they haven't had a proper shower in quite a while.' Fives sighed, taking a seat on the floor near the prepared accommodations for the first six.  
'And all we've got for a toilet is a bucket under there.' Commander Fox groused, pointing to a thin piece of metal propped up against one wall.  
'Now that's abuse of clones. Don't worry, you'll have a better life here. I'll be right back, soon all of this discomfort will be behind you.' Fives promised, getting up and darting from the room.

Running back into the room a few minutes later with a smaller crate under one arm, Fives knelt and quickly set up six more beds in the row. Positioning wardrobes and footlockers to match up with the rest, he neatened everything up before turning his attention back to the five dirty little clones in their box.  
'Come on, everything is set up and ready. Clean bunks, new clothes and 'freshers in just your size.' Fives coaxed, gently lifting the five out and setting them on the shelf. 'This will be your area. Those bunks there are for the six 501st boys that got caught up in this.'  
'All of this for us?' Ponds asked, looking up at Fives in disbelief.  
'In your footlockers, you'll find little towels and bathing kits among other things. In your wardrobes, you'll find clean clothes. Grab what you want and head towards the 'fresher.' Fives nodded, glancing up at General Fisto as he eased to his feet again and grabbed the smaller crate from the floor.

Grabbing their bathing kits, towels and fresh clothes, the five shaken clothes ran along the low shelf and down the ramp before disappearing into the 'fresher. Curious about what Fives was doing, General Fisto followed and smiled at what he was seeing. Fives was stretched out on the floor, tweezers in his hand as he connected up a second mini 'fresher beside the first and then positioned a row of mirrors over the most delicate little basins. Shuffling around a little, Fives worked to connect the diminutive water pipes for the basins and cautiously tested each one was working.  
'There you go, showers enough for everyone, proper toilets and your own shaving and washing stations.' Fives guided, sitting up and motioning for his brothers to go inside. 'Everything you need, you'll find in your bathing kits.'  
'Thanks Fives, you're the best.' Stone grinned, darting for the nearest shower.  
'Come on General, let's leave them in peace for a while.' Fives chuckled, getting up and leaving the new arrivals to clean up and relax.

Seething inside and well aware that General Fisto could read his emotions and see his anger at how his brothers had been treated, Fives headed straight for the couch and sunk down among his favoured brothers, welcoming them to climb into his lap and sprawl comfortably over him.  
'I should have expected poor treatment in some cases but that was beyond poor.' Fives uttered, looking down at his contented brothers.  
'You have every right to be angry, Fives.' General Fisto nodded, taking a seat opposite him.  
'I passed angry when I saw their state. If I could get away with it, I'd march up to General Windu and give him a black eye for daring to disrespect my brothers like that.' Fives replied, too worked up to bother with censoring his words.  
'What happened Fives?' Rex asked, looking up at him expectantly.  
'The five known mini-clones in the Coruscant Guard got some pretty rough treatment. They could probably use some friends right now.' Fives sighed, lightly rubbing Rex's back. 'They're having their first decent showers since they were shrunk.'  
'Maybe we should organise something for them to eat.' Tup suggested, getting to his feet.  
'That sounds like a good idea. Why don't you six go wait at the top of the stairs and I'll find something for them?' Fives nodded, watching the six as they climbed off the couch and headed for the stairs. 'I knew it was a good idea to keep plenty of leftovers cut down to a manageable size for them all.'

Weaving back into the kitchen, ignoring General Fisto as he watched the goings on, Fives opened the conservator and pulled out one of the small plates he'd organised while making lunch. He had several ready for snacks and meals for the guys he was charged with keeping safe. Each one had a good mix of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vegetables and fruits, everything the little ones would need to stay healthy and satisfied until it was all sorted out. Tapping the conservator closed, he turned and grabbed one of the miniscule kaf pots General Skywalker had made and filled it from his pot before carrying it all over to the waiting group. Rex took the kaf pot, holding it with both hands as the rest of the group took the plate and carried it together. It wasn't that it was too big for them. Even by using the lightest materials possible, the platters that had been made were too heavy for just one or two to carry. Besides, the platter Fives had picked out would be enough for the 501st boys to have some as well.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Standing under the hot water, Fox wasn't sure what to feel anymore. He felt better knowing he wouldn't have to live in a box anymore but he couldn't shake the feeling that this better life was just a dream. He was scared that any minute he'd wake up back in that stinking box. He'd thought General Windu was a good man but the last couple of weeks had proven him so wrong. He felt so violated by all of it.

Jumping when he heard someone behind him, Fox turned and looked at Rex as he stood just outside the shower stall. Trembling faintly, Fox looked away quickly, shamed by what had happened to his brothers. He felt so used and dirty, a shadow of the brave officer he'd been before all of this. He just wanted to curl up and hide, he didn't want to face this anymore.

Leaving his clothes neatly folded beside Fox's outfit, Rex stepped under the hot spray and gently held his brother, whispering calming words in his ear as they stood there together. Always keeping one arm around Fox's back, Rex reached for the soap and started to wash his older brother. There was nothing sexual between them, but every brother knew how much better it was to have someone there when they were feeling vulnerable.

Relaxing into the firm contact, Fox finally felt safe enough to release the pain that had been building up in his chest since they were shrunk. Rex didn't say anything about the soft noises Fox made, he understood the stress of being so small in a galaxy that wasn't designed for people of their fragile size.  
'Here, Sir. I thought you might be hungry.' Tup offered, standing in the open doorway with a meat and cheese roll in his fingers.  
'Starved.' Fox nodded, rinsing off and stepping out to accept the food. 'Thank you.'  
'Don't worry Sir, we'll take care of you now. Everything will be okay, you'll see.' Rex soothed, shaking the water out of his eyes. 'Everyone else settling in okay, Tup?'  
'Everyone else partnered up to help the Coruscant Guard boys settle into their new home. But with odd numbers I'm roaming.' Tup nodded, averting his gaze respectfully. 'It's a little awkward with rank in the way but we're managing.'  
'I don't even want to think about rank right now.' Fox uttered, reaching out to rest one wet hand on Tup's shoulder. 'Right now, I just want to be one of the guys. I don't want to be split from brothers in such a weird situation.'  
'Whatever I can do to make you feel more comfortable, Fox.' Tup replied, resting his hand over Fox's. 'Finish your shower then come and eat, there's plenty to go around.'  
'You're a good man Tup. Thank you.' Fox nodded, managing a faint smile as he stepped back under the water.  
'We've all got to stick together now.' Tup shrugged, leaving the pair in peace and heading back out to their personal dining area.

Delving into the newest footlockers that had been set out on the shelf, Tup set out the eating sets of the five new arrivals, organising everything to make them feel welcome. Picking up the kaf pot, he filled the mugs and made sure the table looked neat and inviting for their traumatised brothers. They'd been through so much already, the least they deserved was a proper meal and a chance to relax in the safe presence of their brothers.

One by one, the five shrunken members of the Coruscant Guard emerged from the 'fresher, each one sticking close to a 501st brother until they were feeling more confident about the mess. Putting their bathing kits away, the group headed for the table, eyeing the offered food with great interest.  
'Eat up everyone, there's plenty to go around.' Tup grinned, leaning lightly on the back of an unneeded chair as everyone else took a seat.

Everyone looked up when Fives entered and stretched out on the floor beside them, head resting on his hand as he gazed at the little group as they sat and ate together. Smiling softly at the group, he reached out and lightly ran one finger down Thire's back, letting him know that everything would be alright now.  
'What will happen to us now?' Ponds asked, looking up from the food on offer.  
'You'll stay here until this has all been sorted out. Don't worry, I'll be right here every step of the way.' Fives replied, perfectly content to stay on the floor and calm his brothers.  
'You really mean that, Fives?' Jek asked, tugging at his collar nervously.  
'I mean it, Jek. I don't know why but I'm the only one so far that can be in contact with you without ending up small.' Fives nodded, moving his hand to gently stroke Jek's back.  
'It's true Jek. Fives has been caring for us since we were shrunk.' Kix added, nudging Stone to get him eating again.

~!~#~O~#~!~

It was getting pretty late when next the comfortable peace in their apartment was broken by the chiming of the door. Cradling a sleepy Fox to his chest, Fives left his soft bed and padded through the darkened apartment to open the door, wondering who would come calling at this hour of the night. It was well past curfew and highly unlikely to be one of the Senators coming to check in.

The door slid open and Fives relaxed a little bit. He wasn't dressed to be dealing with Senators but he could handle facing a Jedi in his sleep pants and a civilian shirt he'd found in the wardrobe.  
'Good evening General Kenobi.' he smiled, looking down as Fox cuddled closer to his chest.  
'Good evening Fives. I hope I didn't wake you.' Obi-Wan replied, dropping his gaze to the little clone in Fives' embrace.  
'No, it's okay General. Do come in; just mind the safety fence.' Fives grinned, stepping over the fence and turning the lights up low.  
'I cannot stay long, Fives. I just wanted to ensure the safety of these eight.' Obi-Wan sighed, opening his robe to reveal seven mini-clones curled up in a makeshift group hammock around Obi-Wan's chest. 'Cody is in my hood, something about personal space.'  
'Officers can be like that.' Fives nodded, leading Obi-Wan through to the bedroom. 'I knew it was a good idea to get the rest of the bunks set up before the guys went to bed.'

Looking at the neatly arranged mini-clone accommodations arranged on the low shelf in the main bedroom, Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile. It was becoming very clear that Fives was the right man to care for the afflicted clones and they had been right to approach Senators Organa and Amidala for help.

Easing Fox down onto his bunk and tucking him in lightly, Fives stood and retrieved Cody just as the door chimed again. Tucking Cody to his chest and giving Obi-Wan an apologetic look, Fives went to answer the door, giving Obi-Wan a chance to have a closer look at the accommodation set up for the downsized clones.

Fives was back in a few minutes, General Koon following him into the bedroom with five little clones huddled together in the hood of his cloak. Ever so gently, constantly aware that his size could be an intimidating thing to his brothers, Fives carefully curled his fingers around Wolffe and lifted him out of the pile.  
'Shh, it's okay now vode. You're safe now, I'll take care of you.' Fives soothed, going down to one knee and setting Wolffe down beside his bunk before tenderly easing Cody down onto his bunk.  
'This is home now?' Wolffe asked, rubbing gritty eyes and looking around.  
'These fives bunks here are for your pack, Wolffe.' Fives nodded, reaching up to gingerly take Spitter from Obi-Wan's hands. 'Everything you could need is in your wardrobe and footlocker.'  
'Tomorrow, I'm tired.' Wolffe replied, climbing into one of the empty bunks as Fives tucked Comet into bed and reached to take Sinker.

Working together and trying so hard not to wake anyone, the full sized trio tucked the new arrivals into their beds. They looked so sweet, 24 miniature clones all settled in their beds, lost in hopefully peaceful dreams. It didn't last though.

With a scream, Stone jerked upright, looking around in the dim light before tipping his face up. He relaxed a little at the sight of Fives kneeling nearby but he tensed right back up at the sight of the Jedi standing behind him.  
'Shh, it's okay vod'ika.' Fives whispered, scooping Stone up and cradling him close. 'Look, we've got more company now. From 11 to 24, the numbers are growing.'  
'How many more are there?' Stone asked, burrowing closer to Fives for comfort.  
'Last I heard, 33 but there could be more.' Fives shrugged, welcoming Stone to curl up where he was most comfortable. 'Whatever happens, I'll protect you.'  
'No more boxes?' Stone uttered, trembling faintly in Fives' hold.  
'You will never be mistreated like that again, vod'ika.' Fives promised, turning to regard the Jedi now staring at him. 'Ask General Fisto, he'll be able to explain about General Windu's treatment of the Coruscant Guard afflicted.'  
'Are you sure you can handle caring for them all, Fives?' Obi-Wan asked, watching the way Fives was holding Stone so lovingly.  
'They take care of themselves really, I'm just here to make sure no one gets hurt, to prepare their food and keep the place clean.' Fives nodded, absently stroking Stone's back. 'And to hold 'em when they have a nightmare.'  
'Everyone needs someone.' Stone added, covering a yawn and snuggling down. 'Let's try this again.'  
'Shh, you settle down and sleep. I'll keep watch.' Fives promised, lightly rubbing soothing patterns over Stone's back as he rolled over and closed his eyes.

It only took a few minutes for Stone to sink back into a deep sleep, snoring quietly against Fives' chest. Making sure not to wake him, Fives deposited Stone back in his bed and smoothed his bedding over him neatly.  
'Sleep well little brother, I'm here.' Fives uttered, getting to his feet and doing one last check to be sure everyone was sleeping before ushering the Jedi from the room. 'Shhh, some of them are very light sleepers.'

Constantly listening for any noise from the bedroom, Fives managed to relax a little more as the trio gathered in the kitchen, far enough from the bedroom to not disturb the sleeping brothers but close enough that Fives could still keep watch over them.  
'I'll take good care of them, all of them.' Fives promised, leaning back against the bench casually.  
'This is quite the responsibility for you to take on, Lieutenant.' General Koon remarked, thinking about how challenging it had been just to keep his five safe.  
'I can handle it, Sir. This apartment is a safe place, all the serious hazards have been blocked off and I have had practise caring for my little brothers.' Fives replied, pushing off the bench at the sound of something moving in the bedroom.  
'You're not going to check on that noise?' General Kenobi asked, also picking up on the sound in the bedroom.  
'No need, Sir. I can tell the difference between someone having trouble and someone woken by a full bladder.' Fives shrugged, settling back again. 'That was a 'fresher run.'

~!~#~O~#~!~

Not quite sure what woke him, Rex sat up and looked around slowly. The bedroom was mostly dark, the only light was coming from the windows over their miniature bunks, pulsing colours decorating the walls and ceiling of the room. Fives was fast asleep, snoring away like normal with one hand dangling over the side of his bed, right where they could reach it to get his attention.

Looking around a little more, he realised that there were more occupied bunks now than when he'd fallen asleep earlier. In the dim light, he saw one of his brothers was sitting up on his bunk, legs crossed and face hidden behind his hands. Climbing out of bed and dropping lightly to the shelf, Rex darted past the other sleeping mini-clones, treading light so he didn't wake anyone accidentally as he passed their bunks.

Huddled up on his bunk, Cody bit his lip to silence his sobs as he struggled to handle the mess they'd been dragged into without knowing why or how. He didn't like this at all, he'd give anything to be his right size and back onboard the Negotiator where he belonged. He already missed his 212th, the brave men he knew and could always depend on when times were tough.

Head coming up when his bunk shifted, Cody wiped his eyes and managed a faint smile as one of his affected brothers climbed up and sat beside him. A bright flash of light from outside lit up the room for a brief moment, allowing Cody to identify his visitor.  
'You should be asleep, Rex.' Cody uttered, trying not to think about how broken he sounded.  
'So should you, Cody.' Rex shrugged, shuffling closer. 'What's the matter? Aside from the obvious, what's got you so upset?'  
'I hate this, Rex. I hate being away from the Negotiator and General Kenobi but most of all, I hate being away from my men. I'm supposed to be the Commander of the 212th but right now, I'm nothing.' Cody growled, punching the mattress in frustration. 'I don't like this, Rex. I want to go home, back where I belong.'  
'I know Cody, I don't like this either but for now there's nothing we can do. For now, we have to trust in Fives to keep us safe. We have to be patient, someone will find the solution. You never know Cody, we might be the ones to find the answer.' Rex offered, reaching out to take Cody's hands lightly. 'It's going to be okay, we'll get through this together.'  
'I'm scared Rex. What if there is no solution to this?' Cody uttered, looking away in shame for thinking such a thing.  
'And what if we wake up tomorrow and this is all just a bad dream?' Rex countered, tipping Cody's chin up again. 'I know it's tough but we have to try and stay positive about all of this.'

Nodding slowly, Cody rubbed tired eyes and settled back, relaxing as Rex pulled the covers up over him again and sat beside him, one hand resting lightly on Cody's arm. A single look passed between them, lit by a flashing red light going past the bedroom window but it was enough. Lifting the covers, Rex crawled in behind Cody and pressed close, the pair used to squeezing into regulation bunks together when there was time.  
'Get some sleep Cody, its okay. I've got you, you're safe now.' Rex whispered, tightening his grip around Cody's waist and settling.  
'Don't let go, Rex.' Cody uttered, wrapping one hand over Rex's wrist and drifting.  
'Never, Cody. I'll hold you for eternity.' Rex promised, eyes closing as he relaxed completely.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Serving up breakfast for his precious little charges, Fives was just putting the pot aside when the door chimed again. Grabbing a slice of fresh toast as he passed the counter, Fives headed to open the door, figuring if someone was going to come calling at breakfast time, they would see a full scale breakfast operation.  
'Good morning, General Secura.' Fives grinned, ducking his head respectfully.  
'I do hope we didn't interrupt your breakfast, Fives.' Aayla smiled, stepping over the barrier and adjusting the small bag hanging against her right side.  
'Not at all, General.' Fives replied, turning and heading towards the dining table. 'Fox, would you mind going and grabbing four more eating sets?'  
'Course not.' Fox nodded, leaving the table and grabbing onto Fives' offered hand.  
'As you can see, General, we have a bit of a system now.' Fives continued, reaching into a box on a shelf nearby and lifting down four spare chairs.  
'This is most impressive, Fives.' Aayla praised, setting her bag on the table and holding it open for the four small clones inside. 'I have no doubt these four will be safe with you.'  
'Thank you, General.' Fives replied, turning when the door chimed again. 'If you wouldn't mind lifting Fox up again when he gets back.'  
'of course not.' she nodded, watching over the little ones as Fives went to see who else had come visiting this morning.

Returning with a small cloth bundle in one hand, Fox grinned as he was swept up onto the table again and took a moment to thank Aayla before heading over to where Bly and his fellow 327th mini-brothers were standing. Handing around the eating sets, Fox returned to his spot as Fives came back with Commander Offee at his side.  
'I'll go this time.' Cody grinned, getting up and heading for Fives.  
'Another five, Cody.' Fives nodded, lifting Cody to the floor and watching him run off.  
'You seem to be handling everything, Fives.' Barriss commented, opening her cloak and approaching the table.  
'Now that everything is centralised, it's easy.' Fives shrugged, retrieving another five chairs and setting them around the table.

Wriggling out of the length of cloth loosely wrapped around Barriss' chest, the five mini clones from the 41st landed lightly on the table and looked up at Fives curiously. Spotting Cody coming back, Fives bent and hooked him up, depositing him on the table gently.  
'Grab your gear and find a seat guys, I'll bring your breakfast over.' Fives chuckled, slipping past Barriss to put his toast down and grab the steaming pot and the modified serving spoon.

Stepping back and watching Fives tend to the little ones, Barriss and Aayla smiled softly at the display. It was clear that Fives had been the wisest choice to care for the affected clones, he was patient and generous and everything else the little ones would need until this was all sorted out. They watched in silent wonder and appreciation as Fives moved around the table, feeding his brothers and making sure everyone was happy.

Smiling proudly at the sight of his affected brothers hooking into their breakfast, Fives swept past the women again and set the pot down before grabbing his toast from where he'd left it sitting. It was cold now but he didn't mind, he'd eaten worse than cold toast before.  
'Any chance of kaf?' Gree asked, looking up from his meal.  
'It's almost ready.' Fives nodded, glancing over his shoulder.

Holding his toast between his teeth, Fives padded over to a rather elaborate looking device set up on the kitchen bench. Sliding a tray of the sweetest little mugs into the device, Fives flipped a switch and the aroma of fresh kaf filled the room. Waiting a few seconds for the device to stop buzzing, Fives eased the tray out and carried it over to the table, holding it steady as Tup and Dogma started carrying the tiny mugs over to the small table and handing them around.

With the last of the mugs handed around, Fives put the tray down and leant back against the kitchen bench, watching over his little brothers as they ate heartily.  
'General Skywalker built it. Took me a little while to put it together but now that it's running, kaf for 33 is easy.' he shrugged, glancing at the Generals and wondering how long they would be hanging around.  
'Has there been any more news on this situation, Generals?' Rex asked, looking up from his breakfast and turning to the women.  
'Nothing yet, Rex.' Aayla replied, shaking her head slowly. 'Come along Padawan, we must be getting back.'  
'Of course, Master Secura.' Barriss nodded, looking up at the older Twi'lek. 'Try and enjoy the downtime Gree, we will take good care of the 41st until you return.'  
'Don't worry about me, Commander. I'll be okay now.' Gree replied, sipping his kaf and looking up at her with a faint smile. 'You can trust in Tracer, he's a good second.'  
'We will keep you informed if we hear anything about this mess. Try to enjoy this peace Bly.' Aayla added, walking over to lightly touch his back. 'Everything will work out for the best.'  
'I know General.' Bly nodded, turning and curling his arms around her finger lightly. 'Be safe out there, Sir. Hammer will keep you safe, he's a smart one.'

Relaxing a little more when the door slid closed behind the two women, Fives grabbed his bowl and scraped the remnants of their shared breakfast into his bowl before taking a seat at the table, watching over his brothers as they talked quietly and enjoyed their breakfast. It was a nice change to be eating civilian food, it was certainly more interesting than what they got on base.  
'You're quiet over there, Fives.' Champion remarked, leaning back in his chair.  
'Just thinking, Champion.' Fives shrugged, shooting his brothers a grin. 'I don't know about any of you but I'm getting a bit tired of being stuck inside all the time.'  
'I can agree with that.' Rex nodded, scraping his bowl clean. 'Any more left?'  
'You're a bottomless pit Rex.' Fives laughed, pushing his bowl closer. 'Have at it.'  
'Thanks Fives.' Rex grinned, grabbing another portion from Fives' bowl and heading back to his seat. 'Do you really think it's safe for us to go outside though?'  
'I think we can make it work. It'll be tricky but I don't see why it can't be done.' Fives replied, sipping his kaf as most of his brothers came back for seconds. 'Can I finish my breakfast now?'  
'Can we try going outside? We don't have to go far, I just want to see something apart from these same walls.' Tup asked, draining his mug and sitting back.  
'We can try but you're all going to have to stay close to me once we leave. It's too easy for me to lose sight of you if you stray.' Fives warned, tucking into his breakfast as he considered how to manage his brothers outside.


	4. Eyes Opening

Ignoring the confused looks coming from all around them, Fives kept his head high as he jogged around the walkways and open spaces in the shadow of the Galactic Senate building. He was used to the strange looks from people around them; he was a clone living among Senators and diplomats far from the front where he belonged.

They'd been on Coruscant for a month now and everything was settled into simple routines that made sure Fives never lost one of his precious charges. There had been a few close calls but now they had it down to a fine art and Fives could relax a little bit. There was still a lot to think about but now that his brothers wore little tracking devices on their backs, he didn't have to fear losing one of his brothers. Their locations constantly updated on the modified HUD glasses he wore.

Slowing to a walk, he found a suitable bench and stretched his legs, one eye on the repulsor-cart he'd taken to using whenever he stepped outside. It wasn't exactly glamorous but it was light and very comfortable whether he was pushing it by hand or using the chest harness to drag it along behind. Settled inside, protected by lightweight transparent screens, his little brothers could see the world around them without having to worry about getting hurt or lost.

They all liked it out here, it was peaceful and there was enough space for everyone that Fives could often find quiet areas and let his brothers out to explore safely for a little while. Most of the time though, his little brothers preferred to stay in the cart and watch people going about their days.  
'Are we going to get some lunch soon?' Draa asked, emerging from under his blanket.  
'Yeah, it's about time for lunch.' Fives nodded, checking his chrono quickly. 'What did you guys want to eat?'  
'Ohh, is that one of those spiced meat skewer vendors?' Rex asked, perking up as the scent of the spices and roasting meat wafted towards them.  
'Those are really good.' Cody agreed, sitting up a little more and trying to see where the vendor was operating. 'There he is.'

Smiling fondly at his brothers as they got all excited about the spiced meat skewers, Fives grabbed the cart handle and headed towards the vendor, quite happy to give them what they wanted. Normally things like this were beyond the means of clones but Senators Organa and Amidala had graciously organised for Fives to get a weekly allowance to assist with caring for his brothers. It was more than Fives had expected and he was grateful for the credits, life was easier when you had some money to spend.

Catching the vendor before they moved on, Fives ordered eight of the skewers, confident his brothers would demolish five without any trouble.  
'I've heard that you clones have an appetite but I didn't realise you could eat that much.' the older male Twi'lek behind the cart remarked, digging out the fresh skewers and putting them on his little grill, sending up another delicious waft of aromas.  
'They're not all for me, sir.' Fives shrugged, bringing his cart closer and looking down at his brothers as they waited for the food.  
'Some new Separatist weapon?' the vendor asked, looking down at the patiently waiting mini-clones with a faint smile.  
'We're not sure yet.' Fives shrugged, making sure his brothers were safe and comfortable. 'I have no doubt the Jedi will figure it out eventually.'  
'Leaving you far from where you feel comfortable.' the vendor nodded, opening up one of the cupboards on the side of his cart and pulling out a small metal bowl. 'Would it be easier for your brothers if I put some of the meat in a bowl instead of leaving it on the skewers?'  
'That would be helpful, sir.' Fox replied, getting up and leaning on the barrier comfortably.  
'I smell something else.' Tup grinned, picking up on an undercurrent of something sweet and tangy beneath all the spices in the air.  
'Yeah, what is that?' Ponds asked, looking around slowly. 'It's sweet and tangy to the nose.'

Chuckling quietly, the vendor poured a small amount of a bright red sauce into a tiny plastic bowl and gently set it down among the mini-clones. Knowing what his brothers were like now that they were so small, Fives was first to test the sauce, wary at first but he had a feeling this wasn't going to be too bad.  
'Oh wow, that's really good. Try it guys, just be careful. It's got quite the spice kick.' Fives grinned, watching his brothers as they passed the container around so everyone could sample the sauce.  
'My mother's recipe, she makes the best sweet spice sauce on Coruscant.' the vendor nodded, turning the skewers with a deft flick of his wrists.  
'Not that we can judge, we're so used to military rations.' Fives shrugged, looking down at his brothers as they settled back to wait patiently for lunch. 'Something wrong, Wolffe?'  
'Just a little tired. Didn't sleep much last night.' Wolffe nodded, curling closer to his pack-brothers.

Grinning warmly when Bly reached up to him, Fives deftly scooped him up to his chest, cradling his brother safely in one hand. Nestled safely in the familiar hold of his brother, Bly watched the cooking and looked around, finding some small comfort in being up near where he belonged.  
'How do you want this split?' the vendor asked, turning the skewers again.  
'Three for me, the rest for my brothers.' Fives replied, lightly stroking Bly's back as he set his head against Fives' chest comfortably.  
'Thanks for taking care of us, Fives.' Bly uttered, looking up at his brother with a grin.  
'It's my pleasure, you know that vod.' Fives nodded, so grateful that there hadn't been any more arrivals over the last month. Keeping track of 33 was enough of a challenge.

Easing Bly back in amongst his brothers, Fives accepted the bowl of steaming meat chunks and set it down in the middle of the group before placing a second bowl of sauce in for those at the back that wanted more of it. Turning back to the vendor, Fives accepted his portion and tried to pay for the meal but the vendor refused to take the credits being offered.  
'This is the least I can do to say thank you for fighting for us. I'm here every day, if you decide to come back I will not charge for as long as you are caring so diligently for your afflicted brothers.' he explained, curling Fives' fingers around his credits. 'I am called Nilas, just in case you need to ask for help to find me some time.'  
'Thank you, Nilas.' Fives uttered, touched by the kindness of this man. 'My name is Fives.'  
'I will remember you, Fives.' Nilas promised, reaching out to lightly rest one finger against the tattoo on Fives' face. 'Thank you for your service.'

Accepting the bottle of juice Nilas pressed into his hand, Fives hooked the repulsor-cart to his chest harness and strode off, looking down at his brothers as they shared out the succulent meat and talked about the kindly vendor that had been so good to them.  
'I don't get it Fives. Some civilians are nice to us and others look at us like we're nothing.' Jester sighed, looking up at Fives sadly.  
'Don't take it personally, Jester. Civilians just don't understand us.' Fives replied, ignoring the people around them giving him dirty looks. 'They forget that we are human, created in a lab but we're still human.'  
'I wish they could understand us, we're not that different.' Sketch added, looking around at his brothers. 'We might be clones but we're no different to any other human.'  
'Hmm, maybe we can change that perception.' Fives nodded, chewing thoughtfully as he considered their options. 'Perhaps Senators Amidala and Organa can help.'  
'What are you thinking, Fives?' Gree asked, reaching to dunk another morsel in the nearest sauce bowl. 'It'll take more than a few clones to change the thoughts of all the people on Coruscant.'  
'Maybe not, Gree. It just depends on how the situation is handled.' Fives grinned, changing direction and heading straight for the Senate Building.

This was another of the perks he'd been given. Around his neck he carried a massed ID pass that allowed them access to the Senate building so they could catch up with Senators Amidala and Organa if it was necessary. This pass was special - a single swipe by a guard would bring up all 34 names attached to it, each one cleared for access to most areas. If not for the modified pass, Fives would have been forced to carry all 34 passes and that would get heavy after a while.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Returning to their apartment after a very interesting discussion with Senator Amidala, Fives released his brothers and watched over them as they scattered, going back to their new routines. For Fives, those new routines meant a lot of time cleaning up and making sure his brothers were properly cared for. The downtime also gave Fives a chance to explore life, studying the people of Coruscant and what civilians did with their time when they weren't working.

Enjoying a quick shower and changing into a loose fitting pair of pants, Fives collected a special gift from where he'd stashed it after Senator Organa gave it to him. Padding out into the living room, he perched on a stool by the window and set the case down by his feet. Unsnapping the catches, he lifted out his precious gift and set it on his knee, tuning the strings and checking with the included reader that he had it right.

Slowly at first, fingers so used to war and suffering tripping and stumbling on the strings and creating nothing but discordant sounds. Out of the chaos it came, battle calluses stroking over the strings like a lover in the evening light. Notes in harmony, the unwanted sounds fading into the background to bring life to something beautiful and uniquely his. No one could take his music from him, this was his unique little something and he prayed he would be allowed to keep it once he was sent back to his normal duties.

Softly, reaching deep into a part of his soul that he didn't even know existed until that first taste of a life beyond fighting and death, Fives let his eyes close and matched words to chords instinctively, the ancient words of their heritage ringing out, growing with strength as he continued to weave a story from nothing.

This was his routine now, a few hours each day lost to his growing music, finding his feet and creating a legacy that any clone would be proud to be part of. His eyes were open now, Fives would never again be just another face in the crowd. Whatever came up in his life, he would always fight to hold onto what he'd discovered here and no one would ever take it from him.

One eye sneaking open at the sound of another voice joining him, Fives couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Jester was standing on the edge of the table near him, singing along with the music Fives had created and believed to be his own. In his current condition, his voice took on an angelic note, weaving into the song and hitting notes Fives could only imagine reaching. It was beautiful to hear a song in tribute of their brothers done like this and it gave Fives an idea.

Setting his mandolin down gently, Fives slid off the stool and moved to sit beside the table, welcoming Jester down to curl in against his chest comfortably.  
'You not mad that I joined in, are you Fives?' Jester asked, wrapping one arm around Fives' throat lightly. 'It sounded so nice, I couldn't resist trying.'  
'No, I'm not mad or anything Jester. You surprised me is all.' Fives soothed, rubbing his back tenderly. 'It's just something I've been working on, I never thought any of you would pick up the words. But the fact you can sing it gives me an idea.'  
'I'm not the only one who can, we all know some of the words. No one knows the song in its entirety yet but we're trying to get it. It's a good song, it speaks to all of us in different ways.' Jester explained, tracing idle patterns on Fives' skin. 'Family, support, comfort but above all, brotherhood. These are just some of the things we find in your song.'  
'Not just my song, Jester, it's our song.' Fives corrected, drawing his brother away and looking into his tiny features. 'And it's our ticket to proving to people that we aren't what they think we are.'

~!~#~O~#~!~

It was a beautiful, sunny day when Fives put his first plan into action, his mandolin case secured to the repulsor-cart as he took his usual morning jog around the plaza. For two weeks his brothers had been working to memorise the song Fives had created, going over the lyrics and finalising exactly what they wanted to say with chords and lyrics.

Finding a good spot right in the heart of the plaza, Fives slowed and stopped, going through his stretches before sitting and helping his brothers across onto the bench beside him. Then he opened his mandolin case and lifted out the beautiful instrument, fingers tracing over the blue designs curling so gracefully over the surface.

People were staring at them, some with open hostility and others trying to understand what was going on this time. Fives just smiled, tuning his mandolin and glancing down at his brothers, making sure they were ready for what would surely be a conversation piece for weeks to come. Moving the cart out of the way so people could see his altered brothers, Fives started to play softly, picking out the melody and sending it whirling into the air.

On his cue, his brothers started to join in, sweet voices rising in harmony to carry the song forward to the people. It sounded truly magical, 33 altered voices reaching higher than anyone thought possible. The song still wasn't fully polished but it was good enough for the group to feel such pride as they stood in public and showed that they were more than just soldiers.

Something else came out of their display, something Fives had never anticipated but the surprise was very nice, giving him a better chance to protect and support his brothers. Random people that Fives didn't know were coming up and dropping credits in his mandolin case, smiling at the group and listening to the sweet words of his afflicted brothers.

Never dropping a note, Fives thanked each kind stranger in turn, his smile bright as the stars at the generosity displayed by people that didn't know their story. Some people gave other things too, one kindly woman came back with a bag full of clothes, all of it about the right size for the little group. Fives had tried to protest the gift but she'd told them of the suffering her family had endured on Ryloth and all the good the Republic had done for them. Fives accepted the gift as her way of saying thank you for saving her family from death.

Leaving his place in the song group, Waxer climbed into the clothing bag, digging through the neatly folded clothes before finding something that he really liked the look of. Peeling off the shirt he'd been wearing, he climbed out of the bag and slipped into the pale green tunic, doing up the buttons and returning to his place in the group.

One by one, the shrunken brothers climbed into the bag and emerged with crisp new tunics in a rainbow of colours. Neatly folding their hand sewn shirts and putting them back into the bag, they changed quickly and returned to their places in the group, picking up the song again as if they'd never moved. They looked so sweet in their new clothes and it was clear to Fives that the young woman was happy to see her gift so gratefully accepted and appreciated.

Finishing the song, Fives couldn't believe the crowd that had gathered and grinned shyly as the gathering broke into applause, talking quietly about what they'd seen. Gathering up the graciously donated credits, Fives dropped them in his pack and tucked his mandolin away before neatening up the bag of clothes and shoving that in his pack as well.

Making their way along the bench, his little brothers jumped into the repulsor-cart and settled, smiling up at the civilians that had come to witness their impromptu performance. Making sure that everyone was secure, Fives flipped the protective screen back up and checked one last time that nothing had been forgotten before grabbing the handle and jogging away, his mind leaping ahead to other plans that might get the people on side.


	5. Far Reaching Issue

Making it back to the apartment after a morning jog, Fives was confused to see a message waiting for him on the holocomm tucked away in the corner of the lounge room. He'd never used it and as far as he knew, no one within the GAR had the frequency for it. Ignoring the message for now, he helped his brothers out of the repulsor-cart and handed them a bag of clothes he'd picked up for them, watching as they dragged it into the bedroom to see whatever was in there and stake their claims on any specific pieces they wanted.

Deciding that it would be polite to answer the message and try to assist whoever had left it, Fives cleaned up a little and changed into a freshly laundered shirt from the basket on the couch before approaching the holocomm and tapped the button to accept the message. He was expecting a Senator or perhaps one of the Generals; instead he was confronted with an ordinary looking Twi'lek woman.  
"Captain Rex, I am not certain if you remember me but we need your assistance with a very unusual problem. I do not know who else to turn to at the moment, my husband thought you might be the only one who could offer us some assistance."  
'I heard my name, Fives. What's going…'Rex went quiet and Fives could hear his tiny footfalls on the carpet behind him.

Stooping down, he caught Rex in both hands and stood, turning back to the holocomm and the woman frozen above it.  
'Play the message again Fives.' Rex instructed, not taking his eyes off the Twi'lek woman.  
"Captain Rex, I am not certain if you remember me but we need your assistance with a very unusual problem. I do not know who else to turn to at the moment, my husband thought you might be the only one who could offer us some assistance."  
'You know this woman?' Fives asked, still gazing at the woman with her strange tattoos over his shoulders and down her lekku.  
'I met her on Saleucami, I'm sure you remember the mission where I was almost killed by a commando droid.' Rex nodded, glancing up at Fives. 'She allowed me to stay in the barn and even brought us food before I sent the rest of the team back out on patrol.'  
'I remember reading about it, Rex. You were so lucky that day.' Fives replied, still not sure he understood why this was important. 'But why would she contact you with a problem? Surely you told her that you're restricted on what you can do beyond orders.'  
'She knows that Fives…there's more to the story than what I put in the official report. I'm not proud of hiding the truth but it had to be done.' Rex admitted, looking up at Fives. 'Get in touch with her and I'll explain everything. Whatever this is about, it can't be good.'

Shocked to know Rex had left something out of his report to the general about his incident on Saleucami, Fives tried to establish a connection with the woman, still not sure if he liked this idea. There was something so wrong about knowing Rex had withheld information from their Jedi seniors, it didn't fit with what he knew of Rex and his by the book reports.

It took a few minutes before the call was answered by that same beautiful Twi'lek woman, but instead of the minimal covering of her message, she was standing there wearing a long jacket, a tired look in her eyes. Fives couldn't help it; he automatically tucked Rex closer to his chest and sheltered him behind his hands, wary of this woman and her steely eyes.  
"You are not Captain Rex; I was informed that I could reach him here." She accused, seemingly agitated by something.  
'No, Ma'am, I am Lieutenant Fives. Captain Rex is temporarily unavailable but I may be able to assist you instead.' Fives replied, glancing down when Rex kicked his hand.  
'Let her see Fives, it's the only way.' Rex instructed, folding his arms and looking up at Fives with his patented officer look.  
'If you're sure, Sir.' Fives nodded, reaching out and gently setting Rex on the edge of the holocomm.

Instantly the woman stopped glaring at Fives, her jaw dropping as she gazed at Rex in all his diminutive glory. Rex didn't seem to mind her staring, he just stood there, hands behind his back and looked up at her, waiting for her to recover from the shock of seeing him so small.  
'I know this is probably a lot to take in Suu, but we are working on a solution to this.' Rex offered, stepping back in surprise when Suu turned and disappeared from sight. 'Huh? Suu, what's going on?'  
"One moment, Captain." Her voice carried back to them, deepening the mystery.

She was soon back, sinking onto a chair beside the holocomm and opening her jacket just a little bit. Stunned silence descended as a small figure climbed out of her jacket and jumped across onto the holocomm, coming face to face with Rex.  
"What in all the hells of Corellia is going on, Rex?" this new face asked, gaze lifting to look at Fives warily. "And just who is that behind you?"  
'This is Lieutenant Fives, he's been put in charge of caring for all mini clones within the GAR. We are just two of 34 that I know of, there could be more out there but none have been delivered here for safety.' Rex explained, stepping forward and looking at Cut closely. 'Do I want to know what you're wearing?'  
"Life is hard out here, Rex, you know that. I have to make do with whatever Shaeeah can find in her toy box." Cut shrugged, looking down at the loose fitting grey tunic and blue pants he was wearing.  
'And here I thought running around in the General's handkerchief was as bad as it could get.' Rex chuckled, sinking down to sit on the comm comfortably. 'Sit vod, we have much to discuss.'

Satisfied that Rex was safe for the moment, Fives left him to his conversation and got busy in the kitchen, setting the kaf machine running and drawing out the morning snack tray he'd organised earlier. It was almost as if the other little ones he was responsible for knew that something was happening that they didn't need to know about, they were all still in the bedroom, talking about their clothes and sorting out what they all wanted.

Kaf tray balanced on one hand and food on the other, Fives swung past the holocomm and offered both platters out to Rex, smiling softly as he took a few morsels and his mug before turning back to his conversation with Cut, oblivious to anything else going on around them.  
'I'll try and keep the others from realising what's going on, Rex.' Fives uttered, slipping past the comm and heading up the short flight of stairs.  
'Thanks Fives.' Rex replied, looking up for a moment. 'You can trust Fives to keep the secret. I don't think he likes the idea but he's got faith in me to do the right thing.'  
"Have you gotten any closer to an answer on any of this mess? Any sign of why we're suddenly looking up at the galaxy?" Cut sighed, accepting a few scraps of meat on a sliver of rounded metal.  
'Nothing at all, we've got people all across the galaxy looking into it but we've got nothing. Jedi, Senators, scientists and brothers are all looking for answers but there are no answers to be had.' Rex sighed, sipping his kaf slowly. 'We're trying Cut, but whoever or whatever is behind this didn't leave much for anyone to go on.'  
"I need something, Rex. I can't stay like this." Cut worried, hanging his head. "There's got to be something we can do about this mess."  
'Right now Cut, there's nothing any of us can do about this mess. I hate this too, I'd rather be out doing my duty but we're stuck here and have to make the best of a bad situation.' Rex nodded, setting his mug aside and picking at his snack.  
"Captain Rex, is there nothing you can do to make things easier for my husband?" Suu asked, her concern clear to see. "This place is not safe normally, in his current state it is even more dangerous."  
'Suu, as you can see I am forced to be totally reliant on Fives for my own daily survival. This isn't much I can do to help.' Rex shrugged, looking at his hands for a moment.

Thinking carefully about a secret he'd been guarding for a few months, Fives approached the holocomm again and knelt behind Rex, reaching out to stroke his back with one light finger. Rex was sitting on a pretty big secret here, hiding knowledge of a clone far from where he should be but Fives was hiding a secret of his own, one guaranteed to get him into huge trouble if it got out.  
'There might be an option, it's risky but if it works Cut won't be out there on his own and the Republic will never know he left his current station.' Fives offered, watching the group in front of him closely.  
"Rex, what have you been telling your second?" Cut asked, staring at Fives like he'd sprouted a second head. "Just what do you think I'm doing out here on a Techno Union world, Lieutenant?"  
'Uhh…' Fives blinked, thrown completely by the amusement in Cut's voice.  
'I haven't told anyone anything about that time on Saleucami, apart from what happened to lead me to your barn and heading back to the rendezvous the next day. That night at the house never went into the record.' Rex replied, shaking his head quickly. 'I kept my word, Cut. No one knows the truth about you.'  
"Can Fives be trusted to know the truth?" Cut asked, eyeing Fives warily as he spoke.

Thinking it over carefully, Fives knew what he was considering was a big risk but he didn't know how else to assist this clone out on his own with a Twi'lek woman to watch out for him. He'd promised his brother he wouldn't tell but in a situation like this, Fives didn't think there was another choice.  
'I know of a clone, hiding out and trying to avoid notice within Republic space. By chance he met a woman after he was abandoned to die some time ago. He lives in complete peace now, running a transport service within Republic space. I could get in touch with him and ask if he'll pick up a special shipment from somewhere and bring it to Coruscant without getting searched. He'll do it, I'll owe him a big favour but I know he'll make the run.' Fives offered, putting his cards on the table and hoping he wasn't wrong to trust in his Captain.  
'You know of a…well at least now I know I'm not the only one bending the rules a little.' Rex grinned, leaning back on his elbows to look up at Fives. 'But I guess you're not going to reveal who it is that you know about.'  
'Not a chance, he trusts me to guard his secret. He's 212th and that's all I'm saying about him.' Fives replied, turning his focus back to the pair on the other end of the communication. 'You tell me where and I'll organise something.'  
"You think you can just take my husband like that?" Suu growled, leaning forward and wrapping one hand protectively around Cut's tiny body.  
'Husband? Ma'am, I had no idea he was your husband. I thought you were simply a kind woman that had taken pity on a troubled brother.' Fives replied, hands up in a calming gesture. 'Marriage isn't something most clones get to even consider.'  
"Starting to realise that maybe I'm not doing everything by the book?" Cut remarked, arms draped over Suu's protective hand.  
'I wouldn't say that, you're just putting your own spin on the regs.' Fives grinned, settling the situation down and earning a few snorts of laughter from his brothers.  
"Would it be possible for us to speak with this pilot you are suggesting?" Suu asked, lifting her gaze at an indistinct voice somewhere in the background. "Excuse me."  
"You might as well answer that one, Fives. Suu's gone up to check on the kids." Cut shrugged, shaking his head slowly. "I'd give anything to be able to pick my kids up and hug them again."  
'Kids too? You've been busy vod.' Fives remarked, resting his chin on the edge of the comm.  
"Adopted kids, they were already running around when I turned up here. I'm the only father figure they know, their birth father died when Jekk was just a babe in Suu's arms." Cut explained, idly scratching at his hair. "I won't abandon my family, my kids need me just as much as they need Suu."

Reaching out, Fives opened up a second channel and put in a special unlocking code that would give him access to the brother on the other end of the channel. As expected, the face on the other end of the channel wasn't their brother but a chirpy little pit droid that had been reprogrammed as a pilot.  
'Don't even start, Sparky. Tell your boss that Fives is calling with a job and let him know I've got company that might not be favourable to him.' Fives directed, one finger aimed threateningly at the little droid.  
"I will pass the message, Fives." Sparky nodded, vanishing from view and leaving a rotating image of crossed pistols to mark the channel.  
'That's your contact for this trip?' Rex asked, looking up at Fives in disbelief.  
'No, that's his pilot droid Sparky. For safety, Gra'tua never answers the comm directly unless it's his partner calling on him. Anyone else gets to deal with Sparky.' Fives replied, enjoying the laugh from Rex at the name he used.  
"Vengeance, nice choice of name." Cut mused, turning away from the pair again. "Everything okay, Suu?"  
"Shaeeah had a bad dream about the night the droids came. She's fine." Suu replied, returning to her seat and stroking Cut's back lovingly.

It took another few minutes but the crossed pistol symbol flickered out to be replaced by a shadowy figure in armour, face hidden behind a full helmet, leaving just his eyes on display. His gear was interesting, combining elements of clone armour with touches of old Mandalorian design and something sparkling along his brow line.  
"Fives, so good to see you again, vod." Gra'tua greeted, dipping his head respectfully.  
'It's good to see you again too, Gra'tua.' Fives grinned, getting to his feet. 'I need your help with a delicate matter. If I knew of anyone else I could talk to, I'd ask them instead but this needs to be done quietly.'  
"Just tell me where I have to go, what I've got to grab and where you need it delivered, Fives. You're family, I'll do anything for my brothers…except return to the ranks." Gra'tua replied, coming closer and leaning in to get a closer look at Rex and Cut. "Do I even want to know what happened?"  
'Probably not, vod. Whatever this is, it's only affecting a few brothers out of the GAR.' Fives shrugged, looking down at Rex.  
"We need transport for four from Saleucami to Coruscant." Cut offered, getting to his feet and moving closer to Gra'tua. "My wife and two children will be accompanying me to join with the rest of the affected clones until this mess is sorted."  
'I got the job of caring for all mini-clones as they became known. By localising them, the Jedi hope to make it easier to keep them safe and figure out what caused the problem.' Fives added, looking down at Rex with a grin.  
"Human wife and kids?" Gra'tua asked, crouching down to Cut's level.  
"No, Twi'lek. A daughter aged eight and a son of six." Cut replied, glancing back over his shoulder. "My wife, Suu."  
"A pleasure, Ma'am." Gra'tua offered, dipping his head again. "I don't normally go near Saleucami, closest I'll usually get is Roche."  
"We are just simple farmers, we have few credits and little to sell to get enough credits for a flight to Roche. We do plan to return to our farm after Cut is returned to his rightful size." Suu added, shuffling her chair closer and resting her elbows on the table.  
"I said I don't usually go near Saleucami…for my brothers I'll go just about anywhere. I can be in orbit around Saleucami in about four days. Head for the spaceport and keep your ears out for the arrival of the Shuk Verd or Rift Warrior. The name seems to depend on whether the locals can pronounce Mando'a." Gra'tua explained, his image flickering out to reveal a sharply angled freighter, the likes of which was strange to all his brothers. "This is my ship, keep an eye out for her and I'll make sure you get to safety."  
"We'll be there, vod. Thank you for this." Cut promised, gazing at the ship with a knowing eye.  
'I'll be there to meet you at the Coruscant spaceport, you don't need to worry about that at all.' Fives added, fully confident that his brothers could be trusted to stay in the apartment without him.  
"I'll head for the usual spot on Coruscant, you know where." Gra'tua agreed, turning his hidden gaze to Fives. "Make sure you're not tailed."  
'I know the routine, Gra'tua.' Fives reassured, looking down at Rex. 'I'll make sure no one can tail me to the pickup or back to the apartment.'

~!~#~O~#~!~

Gathering his brothers on the couch after the evening meal, Fives could only hope that the rest of the group would believe the story they'd concocted to cover Cut's non-regulation appearance and civilian family. They could only hope their story was believable or they were in for a lot more trouble.  
'What's going on Fives?' Tank asked, glancing at Bly warily.  
'News has come in about another mini-clone out there. But unlike all of us, he was left behind on the battlefield. It was thought he'd died with his Squad but somehow he survived and escaped Geonosis. He was taken in by a young family, a single mother trying to raise two children. Somehow he was caught up in the miniaturisation like all of you and his wife, concerned for his safety, got in contact with us. Exactly how she located us is still unknown, the comm records indicate it was a direct link but I don't know how she knew we were reachable here.' Fives explained, shaking his head slowly.  
'So he's coming here now?' Wolffe asked, scratching his head slowly.  
'Yeah, his wife arranged transport for their family to make the trip to Coruscant so he could share in the supplies here. As it is, he's been getting by with clothes he's had to borrow from his daughters' dolls.' Rex nodded, lifting his gaze slowly. 'you thought you'd seen humiliating wardrobes, he told us of days when all he had available to wear were dresses and skirts until his wife was able to work out how to make more suitable clothes.'

Swapping looks, the brothers trapped in these tiny bodies started nodding, understanding the discomfort of wearing things that weren't designed to be used as clothing. But still, it was a risk for him to consider returning to his brothers now that he had a new life far from the GAR.  
'Isn't dangerous for him to join us? What will he do once we get back to the right size?' Sketch asked, gaze flicking between Fives and Rex.  
'Yes, Sketch, it's a risk for him to join us here but considering the struggles of his life without our assistance, it was decided that it would be safer for the family to make the journey. As for what he does once all of this mess is sorted out, I guess he'll sneak away before the Jedi realise he's here and escape back to where he's made a new life.' Fives shrugged, glancing at Rex again.

Rex had a speech planned about what was fair and how it could have easily been any of them in the same situation but it turned out to be unnecessary to even think about such things. Their brothers were on side, each one offering their support to keep their brother with his family and out of the fighting. Without needing any further guidance, they started throwing around ideas about how to keep this unknown clone out of danger and safe with his family, even after they were all returned to their rightful size.

For Fives and Rex, it was a huge relief that their cover story was being accepted and embraced so easily. Now they didn't have to stress about Cut being a target for their brothers, his deserter tag wouldn't even be an issue. As far as these brothers were concerned, Cut had been abandoned and that would stick even if Cut tried to state he was a deserter.  
'Okay, now that you all know what's going on, let's try and make sure he has a warm welcome when he makes it here in a week.' Fives grinned, settling back a little and watching his brothers.  
'I'll make sure his bedding is clean and freshened up.' Tup offered, glancing at Dogma for support.  
'I'll help with that. The mattress could probably use a beating as well.' Dogma grinned, returning Tup's look and nodding faintly.  
'We'll go through the available clothes and stock his wardrobe.' Boil added, nudging Waxer to help him with the job.  
'And I'll set out his place at the table.' Fox nodded, getting right into the idea of helping his brother return to the ranks temporarily.  
'I'll organise his kit in the 'freshers.' Draa suggested, rather liking the idea of a new arrival in the group.

As they made their offers, the brothers abandoned the couch, scattering to make their home ready for a brother that had been away from their odd family for as long as Cut had been missing. They kept going until it was just Fives and Rex left there, sharing a pleased smile at how things were coming together for Cut and his family.  
'I guess I'd better go make a start on rearranging the second bedroom for Suu and the kids.' Fives sighed, shifting up into a crouch.  
'Want some company? Seems like everything is well in hand to welcome Cut into the group.' Rex offered, listening to the happy voices in the main bedroom.  
'You just don't want to face their interrogation.' Fives chuckled, holding his hand out to Rex. 'Come on, I'd be glad for the company.'  
'I'm going to get you for that comment, you know that Fives.' Rex laughed, climbing up onto Fives' hand and scrambling up his arm to perch on his shoulder.  
'Looking forward to your attempt.' Fives smirked, making sure Rex was secure before heading towards the second bedroom to start reorganising.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Trying not to think about his brothers back at the apartment without any supervision or protection, Fives landed his borrowed speeder at a little known minor spaceport near the power distribution zone. Wearing some old clothes he'd picked up cheap and hiding his face under a hooded cloak, Fives waited patiently for the Shuk Verd to arrive.

Finally he caught sight of the steeply angled plates, black and white paint pockmarked and scorched from several close calls with pirates and the like. In all his travels, Fives had never seen anything quite like that ship with it's angry corners and harsh paint designs but there was still something about it that was oddly beautiful to Fives.

Dropping lower and settling gently on the pad, the Shuk Verd pinged softly as it sunk down on its landing struts, ramp deploying from the front and clanking to the landing pad beneath them. Stepping out of his hiding place, Fives approached the ship slowly, one hand locked around the nondescript pack slung over one shoulder.

The moment he put one foot on the ramp, the rescued family appeared from deeper inside the ship. The hologram hadn't given any indication of just how amazing Cut's family was. Instead of the blue of green skin Fives had expected, Suu's skin was a rich pink, deeper than his own skin and decorated with darker pink tattoos. At her side her two children stayed close to her, watching Fives with wide eyes. The elder one was a mottled mix of pink and blue, her head covered with a leather lekku harness and looking very sweet in her long-sleeved dress, stockings and sandals. The younger one didn't have any signs of blue on his skin, his skin was a lighter, creamier pink than his mother too. He was standing there wearing dark green shorts and a matching vest over a black long-sleeved shirt and heavy boots on his feet.

Approaching slowly, trying not to startle the children, Fives brushed his hood back and set the pack down on one of the crates in the lower hold. The gifts inside the pack were a standard arrangement whenever Gra'tua did something for Fives, a payment of sorts though neither man called it such.  
'Welcome to Coruscant, I do hope the journey wasn't too rough on any of you.' Fives offered, releasing the clasp of his cloak and slipping it off his shoulders.  
'You know me better than that, vod. Gave 'em the best treatment available on my ship.' Gra'tua chuckled, appearing from the upper levels. 'They've been quiet most of the trip, it's a big culture shock I guess.'  
'Travelling with you is a shock, culture's got nothing to do with it.' Fives replied, indicating the pack beside him. 'The usual agreement. Wasn't easy to get all the bits this time but I managed it.'

Shaking off her shock at last, Suu stepped forward and opened her jacket, revealing her husband nestled safely in a small sling wrapped around her chest. He seemed comfortable enough, features slack in rest against the softness of her bare skin.  
'He fell asleep a couple of hours ago. The idea of returning to his brothers worried him.' she explained, closing her jacket up again.  
'The others will be grateful to see him at last. They have spent the last week preparing for his arrival.' Fives grinned, resting one hand on her shoulder lightly. 'Accommodations have been prepared for you and your children as well, you will be quite safe.'  
'Thank you, Lieutenant Fives.' Suu smiled, looking down at her children again. 'Grab your bags, children. We are safe now, Lieutenant Fives will take care of us until your father is better.'  
'Okay mom.' they replied, turning and heading to where there were several suitcases stacked up in one corner of the lower hold.

Thinking for a moment, Fives flicked his cloak back around his shoulders and pulled the hood up before striding from the ship, instructing the family to stay in the ship until he returned for them. It was for their own safety really, Fives had no way of knowing if anyone was watching them from above and he had to keep the family secure.

Bringing his speeder around, Fives brought it right up close to the ship, angling it in such a way that is was much harder for anyone to get an eye on his new charges. Hustling up the ramp again, Fives handed around some extra cloaks he'd organised, further hiding the identities of his companions and their mission here on Coruscant.

Loading up the luggage took a little longer than anticipated, even with Gra'tua offering them some help to bring the bags down to the speeder. Fives was anxious to get back to his brothers before anything happened to them but he had to take care of the Lawquane family first.  
'This is the last of it.' Gra'tua offered, bringing down one last suitcase.  
'Thanks Gra'tua.' Fives nodded, grabbing the case and hoisting it into the cargo section before slamming the lid closed on all the luggage. 'I really do appreciate all the help, vod.'  
'You know I'm a sucker for my brothers, Fives. Let me know when the Lawquane family is ready to head home, I'll be available for them.' Gra'tua promised, heading back inside his ship. 'Just don't race off yet.'  
'Come on kids, we'll get out of here in a minute.' Fives coaxed, holding out his hands to the youngsters and waiting for them to decide if he was okay.

The little girl came forward first, reaching up to Fives with an expectant gleam in her eyes. Returning the smile, Fives scooped her up and swung her into the speeder, wrapping the cloak around her and making sure the hood was pulled forward to shield her face. Satisfied that she was safe, Fives turned and swept the younger boy up, enchanted by his laughter as he set the young Twi'lek in beside his sister.  
'I got in touch with another friend, she's organised some toys for both of you to enjoy. There should be something in the apartment by now.' Fives offered, making sure the little boy was protected from potential hidden eyes watching them.  
'Here, I was gonna give these to my kids to say sorry for being gone an extra week. But I figure a couple of kids who had to leave their home deserve them more.' Gra'tua offered, pausing at the bottom of the ramp with two stuffed toys in his hands.

Surprising Fives with his bold actions, Gra'tua left his ship and came over to the speeder, handing the little girl a doll wearing an absolutely beautiful wedding dress and giving the little boy a stuffed Wookiee. Instantly the kids brightened up, hugging their new toys close and thanking Gra'tua warmly for his kindness in getting them to Coruscant and giving them new toys.  
'I'll let you know how things turn out, Gra'tua. Just promise me you'll keep an ear out for any more shrunken brothers and get them here as quickly as you can. I can protect them but only if they're under my wings. Don't worry about the how, I've got supplies to care for plenty more.' Fives sighed, helping Suu into the speeder before turning to his brother.  
'I'll keep an ear out vod, promise. If I do find more, consider their safe delivery to Coruscant a free trip.' Gra'tua nodded, extending one hand without losing the cover of his cloak.  
'That's real kind of you, vod. Take care out there.' Fives replied, grasping his forearm in the Mando way.  
'Ret'urcye mhi, vode.' Gra'tua called, breaking away and heading back into his ship.  
'Ret'urcye mhi, vod.' Fives waved, bounding into the speeder and powering away from the landing pad.  
'What did he say?' Suu asked, relaxing back beside Fives and checking on Cut.  
'Maybe we'll meet again, brothers.' Fives translated, blending into the traffic and checking no one was tailing them back towards the apartment. 'It's our way of saying goodbye. Cut might still remember some of his Mando'a lessons, you should ask him later.'

~!~#~O~#~!~

Heads coming up when the front door slid open, the patiently waiting mini clones abandoned their games and reading material and raced out to make sure he was okay. They weren't exactly sure what they would do if there was trouble but they were still clones and clones never retreated from a fight.  
'Su cuy'gar vode.' Fives called, coming into sight with a suitcase in each hand.  
'su'cuy Fives.' they replied, climbing up onto the couch and lining up along the back to greet the family.  
'So many of your brothers were affected.' Suu remarked, stepping over the barrier and looking at the little clones on the couch.  
'Cut makes 34 that we know of.' Fives nodded, setting the cases down and turning to lift the children over the barrier. 'Everyone, this is Suu Lawquane and her children Shaeeah and Jekk. You'll get to know the brothers as the days go by, there's too many here for me to expect you to remember them all by name right from the start.'  
Where Cut?' Rex asked, getting to his feet and looking up at Suu.  
'Still sleeping safely.' Suu smiled, opening her jacket to reveal the sling across her chest again. 'Could one of you kindly show me where I could put him down to sleep while I unpack and settle the children in?'  
'I will Ma'am. Commander Cody, at your service.' Cody offered, climbing up into her hand as soon as she was in range. 'We share the main bedroom with Fives, just through that door there.'

Entering the main bedroom, Suu smiled at the sight of the perfectly kept room, mind drifting to how naturally neat Cut always was. By the looks of this room, every clone was naturally neat and kept their possessions to a precise order.  
'Around the other side of the bed, you'll see our barracks arrangement.' Cody continued, leaning back against Suu's shoulder contentedly.  
'You won't tell anyone about our presence here, will you Commander?' Suu asked, making her way around the bed and looking down at the neatly arranged bunks along the low shelf.  
'Unless there is a risk to Republic safety, I see no reason to say anything. Don't worry, we all agreed that your family should be protected, so long as there is no risk to security.' Cody replied, holding on to Suu's jacket as she sunk to her knees beside the strictly arranged bunks.

Climbing down quickly, Cody moved along the row of bunks quickly, counting them off before stopping beside one set of bunks and counting ahead. Smiling softly, he looked up at Suu and patted the top bunk, relaxing against the frame of the beds lightly.  
'This will be Cut's rack in here. It's almost as it this was meant to be, this rack has been empty since we all got here six weeks ago.' Cody shrugged, climbing up onto one of the other bunks. 'I'll keep an eye on him, Suu, this is my rack here.'  
'Thank you Cody.' Suu smiled, opening her jacket and supporting the fine cloth sling with her left hand as she reached up behind her neck to release it.

Cody had expected their missing brother to look a little different, his free life out in the galaxy would surely have changed his features but he still wasn't quite prepared for the sight of Cut Lawquane. His hair was lighter in colour, dark brown instead of the normal black and floating loose around his face. His face was heavily lines with wrinkles, telling of a harsher life than Cody lived behind his helmet. He still looked like he was in pretty good condition though, muscles strong and firm under his misfitting tunic and pants. For a man so long separated from his brothers, Cut still looked enough like a brother for Cody to be comfortable around him.

So gentle with her beloved husband, Suu eased him out of the sling and cradled him close as she turned down the blankets before tenderly settled him down and tucked him in comfortably. Cut never even stirred, snuggled up under the blankets as he dreamed of things Cody couldn't even imagine.  
'I'll keep an eye on him Suu, it's okay. You married my brother, this makes us family. You are our sister and we will all protect you. Your children are our family too, they will be safe with us.' Cody offered, settling back on his bunk and watching Cut sleep.  
'Family is a truly precious thing, Cody. I thank you for welcoming us all into your extensive family.' Suu replied, reaching out to lightly trace his back. One last loving touch against Cut's lax arm and she left the room, booted feet making barely a noise on the carpet.

Slipping down off his bunk again, Cody glanced up to make sure Cut was still asleep before quietly opening his wardrobe and flicking through the gifted clothing neatly hung and folded inside. Pulling out a neat pair of blue pants and a simple white singlet, he slung them over his shoulder and dug out some underwear and socks. Climbing up onto Thire's bunk, Cody refolded the clothes and placed them at the foot of Cut's bunk, stacking them neatly and making sure Cut couldn't miss the idea. Climbing down again, Cody grabbed his shower kit and a clean towel from Cut's new footlocker and placed them with the pile of clothes. Finally he grabbed the boots out of the wardrobe, a gift from some talented droids that had seen Fives out with the team and placed them beside the bunk, right where Cut would see them once he woke up and was ready to face the world again.

His brother taken care of for now, Cody swung back up onto his own bed and stretched out, resting on his stomach as he kept his eyes on Cut's peaceful face. Wherever he'd been, whatever Cut Lawquane had been up to since losing contact with the GAR, his life was no easier now that he had freedom to do as he pleased with his life.  
'How is he?' Rex asked, climbing up to sit beside Cody and looking over to where Cut was sleeping.  
'Never even stirred when Suu put him down to sleep.' Cody shrugged, rolling over to press his back against Rex's hip. 'For a moment, I almost didn't recognise him as a brother.'  
'I can understand that. When Suu first put him in front of Fives and I, we didn't believe it either.' Rex nodded, running his fingers slowly down Cody's arm. 'Fives is organising an afternoon snack if you're interested. I can keep an eye on Cut for a few minutes while you go eat.'  
'Yeah, I might go do that. Thanks Rex.' Cody grinned, wriggling out from under Rex's arm and sitting up.  
'He's family, that's what matters.' Rex shrugged, getting comfortable as Cody jumped down and headed for the door.

Waiting another few moments just to be sure Cody was out of earshot, Rex jumped down and climbed up bedside Cut, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder lightly. It took a few seconds but Cut stirred, blinking slowly and lifting his head from the soft pillow.  
'Rex? Is that you, vod?' Cut uttered, rubbing his eyes quickly.  
'Yeah, it's me, Cut. We don't have a lot of time here so listen closely. Fives and I told the guys that you were abandoned on Geonosis and managed to escape. You were found by Suu, half dead and she took pity on you, tending to your wounds and welcoming you into her home and family.' Rex briefed, glancing over his shoulder and listening intently. 'If you value your safety, don't mention what really happened or how I know you. I've already spoken to everyone else that knew anything about Suu and the kids, they've agreed to say nothing about that fateful day.'  
'Wouldn't it be better to come clean about what really happened?' Cut asked, rising up on one elbow and running one hand through his hair.  
'Sure, if you want to see everyone who had knowledge of your location sent back to Kamino for reconditioning and that includes you. If word gets out, certain brothers won't be able to keep the secret, they'll be duty bound to reveal the truth. Your family would be in just as much trouble, your wife would probably go to prison for harbouring a deserter and where would that leave Shaeeah and Jekk?' Rex countered, glancing back again. 'Just keep quiet and you'll be able to leave with your family. No one else needs to know the truth.'  
'Alright, if you say it's for the best.' Cut nodded, pushing down against the fear Rex's words stirred in his gut. 'Just promise me you won't let any harm befall my family.'  
'Fives knows how important they are, he gave his word to protect them. Whatever happens, the Lawquane family will get off Coruscant without anyone realising there is a clone among them.' Rex promised, gently pushing Cut back down. 'Settle back and close your eyes. I'll let you know when it's safe for you to wake and get to know the vode here.'

Nodding slowly, Cut snuggled back down and closed his eyes, putting his faith in Rex that they would all get through this intact and without anyone else finding out the truth of the matter. If that meant he had to spin another false story and claim he'd been more heroic than he really was, he'd do it to protect Suu and their kids from what could happen.  
'One of those for me, Cody?' Rex asked, his voice almost covering the sound of someone else approaching the bunks.  
'Don't I always take good care of you, Rex?' Cody replied, climbing up and sitting on the next bunk along, probably beside Rex. 'Any change in him?'  
'He stirred for a moment but he just resettled and dropped off again.' Rex offered, sounding like he was chewing on something.

Taking that as his cue, Cut shifted again and cracked one eye open with a faint groan. Rolling up onto one elbow, he kicked the bundle down at the foot of the bed and turned his head to look, noting the pile of clothes along with a towel and what looked a lot like an issued shower kit. Scratching at his hair, Cut turned his attention to the pair sitting on the next bunk along, eating something that smelled so good.  
'Su cuy'gar vod.' Cody greeted, putting his meal aside and looking at Cut.  
'Su'cuy vode.' Cut nodded, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 'Where's my wife?'  
'Organising lunch for your kids.' Cody replied, reaching out with a mug in one hand. 'Here, gal'gala.'  
'Tihaar?' Cut inquired, sitting up and leaning out to take the mug.  
'Nayc, pirun.' Rex corrected, sipping from his own mug.  
'vor'e.' Cut grinned, drinking deep and swinging his feet over the side of the bunk. 'How long was I out?'  
'Well, it's been about thirty minutes since you arrived and you were already fast asleep so probably a few hours.' Rex shrugged, shuffling closer and holding out his plate. 'Haili cetare.'  
'That's your meal vod, I can't take it.' Cut refused, stretching again while being careful not to spill his mug.  
'Don't worry about it, I'm not really that hungry at the moment. I can always get something later.' Rex chuckled, relaxing a little more once Cut took the plate. 'I'm Rex and this is Cody, welcome to the family again, vod.'  
'Thanks. Looking at all of this, I'm guessing there are quite a few brothers affected by this shrinking thing.' Cut remarked, tucking into the offered meal gratefully.  
'In the grand scheme of the GAR, not really. Your arrival here makes 34 vode affected by this thing, whatever it is.' Cody replied, absently rubbing the scar beside his eye. 'Could be more out there, we just don't know.'  
'That's hardly a comforting thought, Cody.' Cut sighed, rather enjoying the simple meal on offer. 'I don't know if I can handle too many brothers at once after so long with just my family.'  
'If you want to be alone for a while, all you have to do is say so. We've all been there before, it's no big deal. Even Fives sometimes needs to get away on his own though he usually just steps out onto the balcony and shuts the door. We can't get at the controls.' Rex soothed, draining his mug and jumping off the bunk. 'I'll let Suu know you're awake, Cody will show you where everything is.'


	6. Almost Forgotten

Trying hard not to think about the Lawquane family as he raced back into deeper space, Gra'tua pulled his helmet off and ran one hand through his long black hair, tugging lightly on the random beads and trinkets laced into his twisted locks. His favourite trinket hung just behind and below his right ear, a tiny model of a clone helmet nestled in there safely, mostly hidden even without his helmet.

Setting his helmet on the table, he stood and stretched, feeling better for the knowledge he'd helped his brothers with a situation far beyond their training. No one except Sparky, his wife Miterna and Fives knew who he was under the armour and that was just the way he planned to keep it. No one else needed to know about the clone living a free life as a freighter Captain.

Most days he didn't mind that he'd been marked as a deserter, he was a free man now and able to make his own choices for his life but this incident with the Lawquane family and seeing the other miniaturised clone on the holotable had left him rattled. He'd always know that their lives were precarious but to see his brothers, defenders of the Republic and heroes to the younger brothers, well that stung in ways he'd never expected to feel.

Shaking his head to chase away such thoughts, he left the crew cabin and headed down towards engineering, aiming towards a little something special he'd installed without anyone knowing about it. By no though, he expected Sparky had figured it out and it was just like that damned droid to tell Miterna about the secret additions to the systems.

Deciding that he didn't care if either of them knew about it, Gra'tua opened one of the access panels and typed in a special code, one that he would never tell his wife. She didn't need to know that part of his life and she certainly didn't deserve the threat that would come of it if word got out she knew a clone. Her business would be destroyed if his true identity got out.

Swearing softly as the hatch slid open, Gra'tua brutally shoved such thoughts out of his mind again and sunk down at the small monitoring station hidden back here. Switching it from silent mode to active searching, he sunk down onto the stool bolted in front of the console and watched the information flashing across the screen, tracking certain numbers and seeking out anything that might be interesting.

Suddenly the screen blanked then flashed up an alert beacon, coordinates scrolling across the screen followed by an identifying number - CC-5579-39. Jaw dropping, Gra'tua spun and typed the given coordinates into the onboard galaxy maps, hunting for the location indicated.  
'Sparky, drop us out of hyperspace! We've got a new job.' he barked, eyes widening as the coordinates pointed them to a planet in the Outer Rim.  
"There has been nothing on the comms, Gra'tua." Sparky replied, appearing none of the monitors.  
'Don't argue with me, Sparky. I can just as easily send you back to the scrap yard and fly this ship alone.' Gra'tua snapped, not taking his eyes off the tracking screen. 'You have 30 seconds to get this ship into hyperspace heading towards Abafar.'  
"What's on Abafar?" Sparky asked, the ship shuddering as they dropped out of hyperspace.  
'I won't know for sure until we get there. Just get us there as fast as you can.' Gra'tua ordered, slumping back and looking at the ID number still on his screen.  
"As you wish, Gra'tua." Sparky replied, disappearing from sight as the ship shuddered and they launched back into hyperspace.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Arriving over Abafar, Gra'tua couldn't believe what he was seeing. Reports indicated this place was a Separatists held planet and from the looks of things it was even more of a desolate wasteland than Tatooine. Checking the alert beacon again, he nodded and hoisted Sparky out of the pilot seat, dumping him in the co-pilot chair beside him before sinking down and taking the controls.  
'Don't start Sparky, I know this is dangerous. But one of my brothers is down on that rock and come whatever obstacles, I'm getting him back.' Gra'tua explained, bringing the ship into the atmosphere and getting a closer look at the barren nothingness of The Void.

Ignoring Sparky and paying little attention to the terrain below them, Gra'tua tracked the beacon faultlessly across the nothingness, determined that this brother, whoever he might be, would not be abandoned and forgotten again. If this lost brother wanted to return to the Republic, Gra'tua would take him to Coruscant and get a buddy to help him out. If not, well another companion on the long haul flights would be nice.

Landing the ship on the edge of a sunken city, Gra'tua donned his helmet and checked his pistol charge was still good before leaving his seat and heading towards the ladder leading down into the lower hold. The beacon was still going and seemed to be coming from the heart of the rubble pile down below their ship. Somewhere down there, buried under rubble and holding out for a rescue, one of his brothers was waiting for him.

Securing a line to the inside to the Shuk Verd, Gra'tua glanced up for a moment before leaping over the cliff and zipping down the cable, the beacon blazing bright blue on his HUD. Hitting the ground, he released the cable and swung his pistol up, starting to search through the debris scattered all over the place. Whatever had happened down here, it had been violent and all encompassing.

Getting closer to the source of the beacon, he holstered his pistol and crouched to heave a half-melted super battle droid carcass aside, revealing a scorched and dented right vambrace. Inspired by the discovery, Gra'tua kept digging through the wreckage, lugging aside bits of destroyed buildings and mangled droid carcasses to reveal the abused armour.  
'Sparky, I'm going to need the cargo skiff out here. I've found what we're here for.' Gra'tua called, continuing to track the armour under the debris.  
"Releasing the skiff now." Sparky confirmed, launching the small transporter from the ship and sending it out to hover near Gra'tua.

Shoving the last of the debris off his brother, Gra'tua realised there was something very wrong with the way the armour was resting on the ground. If his brother was still in his armour, there was no way he could have survived for a few minutes, let alone the few days it had likely been since he was trapped. Looking closer, he realised that there was no body inside the armour, the bodysuit was loose and sagging and the plates were askew of where they would be sitting if there was a body inside.  
'Sparky, get into the Republic databanks. Run a search for a clone by the ID number CC-5579-39. All I need is a rank and name, don't go digging into anything else.' Gra'tua directed, carefully removing each armour panel from the empty bodysuit and placing it on the waiting skiff.  
"Captain Gregor, Republic Commando." Sparky replied, right in tune with what Gra'tua needed to know to do his work. "Recorded MIA at the Battle of Sarrish."  
'Sparky, I told you not to dig.' Gra'tua warned, not surprised by the added information but he didn't need to know where this clone had last served.  
"I did not dig, the information is right here under his name and rank." Sparky corrected, sending a copy of the file to his HUD.  
'While I'm working on getting Captain Gregor back to the ship, I need you to prepare the medical suite and get that doctor droid online.' Gra'tua continued, trying hard to keep the panic out of his voice as he lifted the heavy backplate and attached pack onto the skiff.  
"It will be done, Gra'tua." Sparky promised, likely already bringing the systems online as he spoke.

Bundling up the bodysuit and tossing it onto the skiff, Gra'tua whipped back around at the sound of a soft whimper coming from under the helmet. Dropping to one knee, Gra'tua lifted the helmet carefully and almost cried at the sight of what he'd found. Huddled up under the helmet, naked as the day he'd first come out of his vat, a lost little clone whimpered pitifully, one arm raised to protect his face.

Removing his helmet, Gra'tua used a few small bits of debris to create a support stand and placed his helmet on top, shielding the injured clone from the sun as he finished gathering up the issued clone armour and placing it on the skiff. Digging out the weapon that belonged to this Captain Gregor, Gra'tua added that to the pile of gear on the skiff before kneeling again.

Removing his helmet, he shifted closer and leant over the wounded clone, shielding him from the sun and trying to reassure him that he was safe. Whatever had happened out here, this lonesome clone had taken the brunt of it. Gra'tua could admit he didn't have a lot of medical knowledge but even he could tell Gregor had at least a few broken bones and was most likely suffering from malnutrition and dehydration.  
'Relax, brother, I won't hurt you. It's okay, I'm here to get you some help.' Gra'tua soothed, peeling off his gloves and reaching out to his brother. 'I'll try to be gentle, I can see you're hurt pretty bad.'  
'It's mostly my leg and this arm.' Gregor managed, looking up at Gra'tua timidly. 'Please, it hurts so much.'  
'I'll take care of you, it's going to be okay.' Gra'tua soothed, digging through his belt pouches. 'Can you tell me your name?'  
'I'm Gregor. CC-5579-39, or so I've been told.' Gregor offered, choking on a scream when he tried to move into a more comfortable position. 'I don't remember a lot, all I know is I'm a clone commando that went MIA at the Battle of Sarrish.'  
'Sounds like you've had a rough time, Gregor. I'm called Gra'tua.' Gra'tua remarked, a length of wide black flat cord and a neatly folded square of cloth. 'This might hurt a little but I'll try to be gentle. I know how much broken bones can hurt.'  
'I'm just glad someone found me at last. I don't know how long I was trapped.' Gregor admitted, settling back on the ground slowly. 'How did you even know I was here?'  
'You activated your alert beacon, my ship picked up on the signal and we came to get you. My guess, you didn't mean to activate the beacon…or you never realised you did it.' Gra'tua grinned, cutting two short lengths of the flat cord. 'Just breathe Gregor, I'll take care of you.'

Leaning closer to Gregor, Gra'tua flicked the longer length of trimmed flat cord out beside the injured mini clone before lightly curling two fingers under his twisted right leg. Curling his thumb over the knee, he carefully pulled, straightening out the bones and apologising when Gregor howled in pain. Holding the limb immobile, he lined up a piece of scrap metal beside the broken bones and used the flat cord to bind the splint in place, careful not to make it too tight and risk Gregor's circulation.  
'You still with me, Gregor?' Gra'tua asked, tearing into a droid carcass nearby for another suitable splint.  
'Yeah, I'm still with you.' Gregor nodded, using his good arm to help him sit up and look at the rough splint. 'Not feeling so great though.'  
'Between your injuries and the dehydration, I'm not surprised.' Gra'tua nodded, reaching for another pouch on his belt. 'I can't do much for the pain but this might help a little.'

Resting the canteen between his knees, Gra'tua pulled his gauntlets off and tucked them under Gregor's head before dipping one finger into the canteen and offering it out to his wounded companion. Smiling softly, Gregor accepted the drink, still clutching his right arm to his chest where it was most comfortable. Dipping his finger again, Gra'tua moistened a second finger and softly rubbed the moisture into Gregor's hair, fully aware of how nice it felt to run cool water through his own hair after he'd had a bad day.

Putting the cap back on his canteen when Gregor had quenched his thirst, Gra'tua picked up the second splint he'd organised and an even shorter length of the flat cord. Working together, they got the splint into place and bound securely into place with the cord, everything positioned for maximum comfort. The effort left Gregor gasping in pain, slumped back against Gra'tua's hand weakly.  
'Tell me we're through the worst now.' Gregor uttered, looking up at his saviour with a faint smile.  
'You're through the worst of it now. The only thing left to do now is get you up and head back to the ship.' Gra'tua nodded, grabbing his helmet and flicking it up onto the waiting skiff. 'All your gear is already loaded up, there's nothing left to show you were even here.'  
'Good, I want off this armpit of the galaxy.' Gregor chuckled, hissing in pain when he jostled his injuries.  
'Soon Gregor, real soon.' Gra'tua promised, supporting Gregor with his left hand and using his right to unfold the pale green cloth beside his injured brother. 'Let's get you covered up and warm, you feel so cold against my hand.'

Ever so aware of his strength, Gra'tua curled his hands around Gregor from behind, fingers spread to support his broken leg before lifting the fragile clone from the cold ground and placing him on the unfolded cloth. Supporting Gregor with one hand at all times, Gra'tua wrapped the cloth around him, tucking in the corners and making sure he was comfortable.  
'How's that?' Gra'tua asked, bringing Gregor to his chest and cradling him there safely.  
'A little better, still hurts like kriff.' Gregor replied, shifting a little to find a more comfortable position.  
'That I can understand. Come on, let's get the fek out of here.' Gra'tua nodded, grabbing his gauntlets and stepping onto the skiff.

Doing one last check to be absolutely sure he had all of Gregor's possessions, Gra'tua turned the skiff around and headed back towards the Shuk Verd and safety. Now that he had Gregor, Gra'tua wasn't sure about inviting him to stay onboard the Shuk Verd and make a new life. His mind was a mess, he'd admitted as much and he really needed professional help to regain his memories, if that was even possible. His injuries would need better care than could be provided on the ship, they only had a basic setup just in case. Then there was the fact he was yet another shrunken clone, the ship wasn't set up for someone so small.

Deciding that was a conversation for when Gregor wasn't feeling so miserable, Gra'tua tucked him closer and pushed the skiff faster, determined to get his relocated brother the help he so desperately needed. Though he'd tried so hard to hide his concerns, Gra'tua wasn't sure about Gregor's chances. His skin was pale and clammy and there was some concerning bruising around his abdomen, a telltale sign of serious internal injuries.

Thankfully Sparky was ready for them and as soon as Gra'tua got the skiff to the base of the cliffs, they were hooked up in the tractor beam and whisked up to the ship. Stepping off the skiff as soon as it was back inside the upper hold, Gra'tua headed immediately for the small medical suite, both arms up to protect Gregor from the chilled air of the ship.  
'Sparky, get us out of here. And turn up the heat a little, he's like ice.' Gra'tua barked, trusting in the little droid to know exactly what to do.  
"We will be launching in one minute." Sparky replied, his feet clanking on the plating somewhere behind Gra'tua. "Just recalled the cable you used and locking down the skiff."  
'Don't touch the gear on the skiff, I'll deal with it once Gregor is on the mend.' Gra'tua instructed, stepping into the medical suite and approaching the waiting droid. 'Got a special one for you Doc. Standard clone biology, just on a smaller scale.'  
'I will take good care of you now.' the droid offered, looking down at Gregor as he was placed on the treatment table.  
'It'll be okay, Gregor. Just relax, the Doc will put you back together in no time. I won't be far away, I've just got a few things to do but I'll be back to make sure you're okay.' Gra'tua promised, stroking his back lightly for a moment before slipping from the room.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Gra'tua should have known that things weren't going to be that easy for him. The medical droid had tried to treat Gregor but it had nothing available that was small enough to safely inject painkillers or bacta into the injuries. So the droid had done the next best thing, reverting to older techniques stored in its databanks to properly stabilise Gregor's broken bones and internal injuries. By no means an ideal situation, it was a start and Gra'tua was grateful for the attempt, even if it meant Gregor was still a fragile little charge.

Trying to give some sort of consistency, Gra'tua used some of Gregor's belongings to make him a safe place to sleep. Securing his helmet into one of the cupboards in the main cabin, Gra'tua lined it with several layers of soft cloth and Gregor's gauntlets after working the armour panels off the backs. Covering the padding with another handkerchief, he made a pillow from a spare helmet liner and a blanket from a torn bodysuit.

The construction couldn't really be called pretty or even particularly neat but the moment Gregor was tucked up inside, he smiled like he'd been given the greatest gift and settled down to sleep, clutching the blanket to his bare chest. The primitive conditions of his treatment didn't seem to bother him too much, he just seemed grateful to have someone that was watching out for him.

When he wasn't resting quietly in his helmet, Gregor liked to be close to Gra'tua, reaffirming the connection he'd lost when he'd gone MIA. Gra'tua didn't mind the constant company, spending hours fashioning a supportive cradle to wear over his chest so Gregor would be comfortable and secure at all times. Padded to support his slowly healing injuries, it put Gregor on a good height to watch what was going on around him.

The first few days after Gregor's rescue, he spent most of his time sleeping, muttering about Sarrish, Abafar and something called Borkus. He said other things as well, things that sounded like astromech names and a Colonel on a mission of utmost importance. Gra'tua never mentioned any of it, he knew how it went when the mind was tormented by the past. With time, Gregor would recover and hopefully regain more of his memories but they were no telling when or if it would happen.

With no better plans for the future, Gra'tua told Sparky to head back towards Coruscant at their normal speed, giving them about a week to figure out what to do about Gregor's situation before the decision couldn't be put off any longer. Gregor deserved the righto make his own choice but Gra'tua feared what that would mean for the lost clone.

~!~#~O~#~!~

'Gra'tua?' Gregor asked, once again nestled in his sling and looking much brighter after a week in the dedicated care of the crew onboard the Shuk Verd.  
'Yeah, Gregor?' Gra'tua nodded, putting down the data pad he'd been reading.  
'What happens now? I mean, you've been great and all, taking care of me since you found me on Abafar but…' Gregor fell silent, shuffling to curl up against Gra'tua's chest a little more. 'It still feels like something is missing, something important. It's like this hollow feeling where my heart should be.'  
'People like us, we were never meant to be on our own Gregor. We were created to work in Squads and Companies, not be lone wolves in the wider galaxy. I'm not surprised you're more comfortable in small groups, your amnesia took away your brothers in so many ways. That hollow feeling is where your Squad should be, that's where your favourite brothers belong.' Gra'tua explained, wrapping one hand protectively around Gregor. 'I felt the same after I deserted the GAR. Tried to convince some of my Squad to come with me but they didn't want to leave so I ran alone. I've learned to live with the loneliness, it hurts but I can cope with it.'  
'Doesn't my presence help with your loneliness though?' Gregor asked, pressing closer to his only friend.  
'Of course it does, Gregor. But I can tell that you're not happy here, one more clone isn't enough for you, not after so long out on your own with nobody.' Gra'tua soothed, absently rubbing Gregor's back.

Sighing softly, Gregor shifted again and wrapped his left hand over one of Gra'tua's fingers lightly. The very idea of leaving Gra'tua after all the care he'd shown worried Gregor, he didn't want to leave his friend but he could also see the sense in returning to the fold and reclaiming his place in the GAR. That all depended on him returning to his normal size and Gra'tua had already told him that he didn't know how this had happened.  
'Wait a minute…Captain Rex. Colonel Gascon showed me a hologram of a Captain Rex and explained that I was a clone. He mentioned the 212th Attack Battalion as my last assigned Company but I don't remember anything about it.' Gregor offered, wondering it if might be possible for him to find his brothers again and regain his past.  
'The 212th huh, they're a good bunch of men. Used to be a 212th man myself, still think about some of my Squad-brothers and wonder how they're doing. Commander Cody is one of the best clone officers out there, he always takes care of his men.' Gra'tua smiled, remembering better times with his brothers. 'As for Captain Rex, he's a tough one to please. He leads the 501st Legion, considered the best of the GAR and they fight hard to keep their reputation.'  
'But if both are so good, how am I supposed to know which way to go?' Gregor sighed, shaking his head slowly. 'At least I can put a face to the name Captain Rex, I don't remember anyone from the 212th.'  
'You don't have to decide right now, Gregor. I'll show you what I mean.' Gra'tua offered, checking the time and working out if they were in range for this message to work.

Calming Gregor again with a gentle touch, Gra'tua stood and headed for the holocomm, sending out a conference request to Fives. It took a few minutes but he got a confirmation and the channel blazed to life.  
"Su cuy'gar Gra'tua." Fives grinned, cradling a mini clone to his chest tenderly. "Wasn't expecting to hear from you again so soon."  
'Su'cuy Fives.' Gra'tua nodded, keeping one hand secured around Gregor's chest. 'I didn't expect to be calling you again so soon but I found another mini clone.'  
"Another one? Where did you find this one?" Fives asked, glancing down quickly. "It's okay Ponds, I've got you. Shhh, go back to sleep."  
'Abafar, way out in the Outer Rim. It's a desolate place, even worse than Tatooine.' Gra'tua shrugged, bringing up a map of their track out to the pickup. 'Way out there.'  
"I didn't think there was any Republic interests out there." Fives remarked, gazing at the map.  
'I don't think there ever was. Ran a databank search on Gregor here, turns out he was marked MIA at the Battle of Sarrish and ended up on Abafar with amnesia.' Gra'tua explained, lightly running one finger over Gregor's hair. 'After an accidental meeting with a Republic away team, he got a few memories back and assisted the Republic team to escape but was left behind.'  
"Sarrish? I was still undergoing training when the Battle of Sarrish went down." Fives blinked, peering closer at Gra'tua.  
'And some of the mini clones you care for were probably still in their decanting jars, I know.' Gra'tua nodded, opening the sling on his chest. 'You ready, vod?'  
'I think so.' Gregor nodded, looking up nervously. 'But what about that other thing we were discussing?'  
'I haven't forgotten about that, Gregor.' Gra'tua grinned, turning his attention back to Fives. 'I think it would be best if Cody and Rex were around to witness this. Gregor previously served with the 212th and it was a hologram of Rex that helped him realise the truth.'  
"Alright, give me a moment to tuck Ponds into bed and find those two. Things are a little chaotic here since the Lawquane family got used to the idea." Fives nodded, protecting the little one in his arms as he turned. "Cooker, go find Rex and Cody. Tell them I need them at the holocomm immediately."  
"I'm on it Fives."  
"I saw Rex on his bunk, Cooker."  
"Thanks Bly."

It took a few minutes but Fives was soon back, two little clones nestled safely in his arms. Crouching a little, he deposited the pair in the surface and sunk down into a crouch so he didn't tower over the little ones looking up at Gra'tua curiously.  
'You're not trying to pull a fast one are you Fives?' Gra'tua asked, recognising Cody from his past but he didn't know Rex personally.  
"I wouldn't do that to you, Gra'tua. This is Commander Cody of the 212th and Captain Rex of the 501st." Fives replied, rolling his eyes at his old friend.  
'I'm ready Gra'tua.' Gregor nodded, sitting up a little more.

Reaching into the sling across the chest, Gra'tua curled his fingers around Gregor tenderly, supporting his injuries as he lifted the battered mini clone out into sight. Reaching out, he placed Gregor on the holocomm and knelt, watching the three affected clones staring at each other. Now was the moment when Gregor decided which way he was going, freedom and constant threat of discovery in the wider galaxy or the restrictions and dangers of the GAR.  
'Well, does this stir any memories Gregor?' Gra'tua asked, hoping something would come back to Gregor at the sight of his old Commander.  
"Memories? What's going on here?" Cody asked, coming closer to Gregor and taking a knee.  
'I'm Captain Gregor. I've been MIA since the Battle of Sarrish and records show I served with the 212th Attack Battalion.' Gregor explained, sitting up and looking Cody in the eyes. 'I hoped that seeing a supposedly familiar face would help with my amnesia but you might as well be a stranger.'  
"Gregor…CC-5579-39?" Cody blinked, leaning closer again. "I don't believe it."  
'That's my number, don't wear it out.' Gregor shot back, jumping a little at the snappy comment. 'Uh, Sir.'  
"Ah-ha, that's the Captain Gregor I knew! Fek but its good to see you're still kicking around Gregor." Cody lit up, overjoyed to see Gregor even though he had no idea what all the excitement was about.  
'You might want to tone it down Commander.' Gra'tua remarked, resting one hand near Gregor for comfort and support. 'Captain Gregor remembers nothing; not the battles he faced, the brothers he knew and lost, nothing at all.'  
"Gra'tua's got a point there Cody. After all this time out of contact and dealing with amnesia, you're pushing it a bit hard right now." Fives agreed, tapping Cody on the shoulder with one finger. "Just take it easy, let things happen and see where it goes."

Coming forward, Rex curled a hand over Cody's shoulder and guided him back a step before sinking to his knees and looking at Gregor curiously. Rex had never known Gregor, never even heard whispers of his number during the frequent clone officer only briefings about missing troops left behind. He couldn't understand why then, Gregor had wanted to see him, a true stranger to this particular lost clone. All of this showed in his eyes as he reached out one hand in a greeting, waiting to see how Gregor would react to such an obvious gesture.  
"Su cuy'gar, Captain Gregor." Rex offered, locking their gazes and waiting patiently.  
'Su cuy'gar, Captain Rex.' Gregor replied, reaching out with his good arm to curl his fingers around the hologram of Rex's extended arm. 'I owe you my returned identity, as sketchy as it is right now. An astromech known as Artoo showed me your hologram, pulling an end to the falsehoods that kept me a slave on Abafar.'  
"Then let me be the first to say this; welcome home, vod." Rex smiled, releasing his grip and lowering his hand. "That is, if you're planning on returning to the GAR."  
'I haven't decided yet. I feel safe here with Gra'tua but something isn't right.' Gregor sighed, turning to look at Gra'tua. 'I don't know what to do.'  
'Well, we're getting pretty close to Coruscant as it is. We can always make a stop and let you meet the team with Fives face to face before you make a choice.' Gra'tua shrugged, running his thumb over Gregor's back. 'You can't really make up your mind until you've had a chance to get to know some of the other vode like you've had the chance to get to know me over the last week or so.'  
"Yeah, we'd be happy to have you come and say hello for a little while. If you decide to stay, it won't take long to have everything set up for you." Fives agreed, looking down for a moment. "Bad dreams again? Come on, I've got you vod'ika."  
'I never did ask this before but just how many mini clones are there?' Gra'tua asked, grinning faintly as he watched Gregor and Rex getting to know each other.  
"Including Gregor, thirty-five. Latest reports coming in from the cruisers indicate that it's highly unlikely for the numbers to change much…unless you keep finding lost clones and bringing them home." Fives teased, eyes twinkling with joy at the sight of a lost brother safe with friends.  
'After two unscheduled side trips for my brothers, Miterna is going to kill me if I take another of these free trips for you Fives. As it is I've been making Sparky deal with her, she's got a soft spot for him.' Gra'tua shrugged, looking down at Gregor with a smile. 'No doubt she'll make me sleep on the ship for a few days after I get home but that's a small price to pay to save a brother.'

Hiding a yawn in his shoulder, Gregor looked back at Rex and smiled, his exhaustion showing through despite his best efforts to stay awake and get to know the one who saved him without even knowing. Rex smiled back and reached out towards Gregor, holographic hand passing just over his head.  
"Rest vod, you've been through a lot and still have so much to face. Take heart, you will be a stronger person for the trials you have faced and still must face." Rex soothed, glancing up at Gra'tua for the briefest second before turning his full focus back to Gregor. "Mishuk gotal'u meshuroke, pako kyore."  
'Pressure makes gems, ease makes decay.' Gregor nodded, recognising the words though he didn't recall where he'd learnt it.

Curling his hands around Gregor gently, Gra'tua lifted him off the holocomm and tucked him safely back inside his sling, adjusting the padding and making him comfortable. Left hand wrapped over the sling to protect Gregor, he lifted his gaze back to the pair of mini clones still standing on the holocomm and smiled, so grateful to Rex for accepting Gregor so easily.  
'I'll let you know when we're in range, Fives. We purposefully slowed our speed to give Gregor time to heal up a little and figure out what he wanted to do next.' Gra'tua offered, pushing to his feet and glancing down to check on Gregor. 'Sleep well vod'ika.'  
"We'll organise a place for him here, just in case he decides to stay. If not, I'll pack you a crate of supplies for him and keep you informed of any progress with sorting out this mess." Fives nodded, lifting Rex down when he started doing his little toilet dance.  
'As much as I appreciate Gregor's company out here, he'd be better off with you guys where he can get proper medical care. As it is, his internal injuries are mostly untreated and his broken bones are set in some three part resin system my onboard medical droid came up with once it became clear there wasn't a needle small enough to inject Gregor with anything without causing extreme pain and serious complications.' Gra'tua sighed, extremely protective of Gregor.  
"I know of some people that might be able to help him. No promises but I know they'll try their hardest to get him back on his feet." Fives nodded, glancing over his shoulder for a moment. "Just hurry up and get him here, I'll do what I can to make everything fall into place on this end."  
'Copy that, Fives.' Gra'tua replied, ending the communication and heading up to the cockpit.


	7. Home At Last

Dozing on the couch after a wonderful lunch that Suu had prepared for them all, Fives barely stirred the first time the door chimed, alerting the group to someone wanting to see them. The second chime earned an annoyed groan and Fives sat up slowly, left hand automatically coming up to protect Trigger against his chest. Checking to make sure there was no one on the floor around him, Fives stood and headed for the door, wondering briefly just who had come calling this time.

Swiping the door opener, he blinked in shock, instantly recognising the blue and black armour in front of him. But that made no sense, there was no way Gra'tua would risk his safety by being seen around here, even with the protection of his bucket.  
'You gonna stand there staring or are you gonna let us in?' Gra'tua asked, head cocked to the side.  
'What are you doing here?' Fives hissed, moving aside to let Gra'tua inside.  
'Bringing Gregor to meet the guys, just like I promised.' Gra'tua shrugged, indicating the heavy crate just outside the door. 'Grab the other end of this, it's Gregor's armour and equipment.'  
'Here, hold Trigger for a moment.' Fives sighed, handing his brother over carefully before stepping out to retrieve the crate and lugging it inside. 'Kriff, are you sure this is just one set of gear?'  
'Course I am, I packed it all personally.' Gra'tua shrugged, following Fives across the apartment. 'Secure compound?'  
'Like anyone would be dumb enough to bug an apartment full of clones in the middle of the Senatorial Tower.' Fives replied, setting the crate down by the wall and retrieving Trigger. 'To be fair, I didn't think you were enough of a di'kut to actually show your face around here.'  
'Did you really think I was so heartless to simply abandon Gregor after all he's gone through. Right now, he needs the comfort of a familiar face and he's latched onto me so here I am.' Gra'tua explained, scanning the apartment slowly before removing his helmet and setting it on the crate.  
'You're crazy Gra'tua. Cody is sure to recognise you, he never forgets his men.' Fives warned, worried about his friend getting into trouble.  
'These are the risks we take. I doubt Cody will complain, he knows that without me Cut and Gregor would never have had this chance to spend time with their brothers.' Gra'tua countered, looking down at the white cloth wrapped across his chest. 'Here, come and meet Gregor.'  
'I've got a better idea. Go sit on the couch, I'll be right back.' Fives grinned, cradling Trigger to his chest and heading towards the bedroom.

Settling back on the couch, Gra'tua watched some of the other mini clones as they relaxed all around the apartment, gathered in their little groups as they talked quietly. They all looked so peaceful, pretty much ignoring Gra'tua as he waited on the couch. It was easy for Gra'tua to see why Fives was so protective of their privacy, all of these little clones were in danger if word got out about this.  
'Okay, let's see how this goes.' Fives suggested, sinking down on the couch and settling Rex on his lap.  
'Much as I hate to wake him.' Gra'tua uttered, easing the sling open and lifting Gregor out carefully.  
'Do I have to Fives?' Rex asked, looking up at his temporary caretaker.  
'No, you don't have to but don't you think it would be nice for Gregor to finally get to meet you face to face. Besides, after all he's gone through, a friendly face would probably be a relief for him.' Fives shrugged, watching Gregor as he shifted a little in Gra'tua's compassionate hold.

Nodding slowly, Rex slipped down off Fives' thigh and picked his way across the cushions to lean on Gra'tua's leg, gazing up at Gregor's battered body. Making his choice, Rex climbed up and approached Gregor slowly, finding it reasonably easy to walk on the scarred black and blue armour Gra'tua wore. Closing the distance, he reached out to lightly take Gregor's left hand between his own, reading the unexpected calluses on his fingers and the scars on his knuckles.  
'These hands aren't the hands of a soldier. All his calluses are all on the fingertips and not on the palm.' Rex sighed, shaking his head slowly. 'Just put him on the cushions here, I'll take care of him now Gra'tua.'  
'Be gentle with him, Captain. His internal injuries have barely started to heal.' Gra'tua warned, waiting for Rex to climb down again before turning and easing Gregor down on the cushion beside him.  
'I know a thing or two about tending to the wounded, Gra'tua. I make the effort to be there for as many of my injured brothers as possible.' Rex nodded, looking up at the unaffected brothers on either side before moving to kneel at Gregor's left side.

Showing exactly why he was so beloved by his troops, Rex worked his right arm under Gregor's shoulders and sat him up slowly, left hand resting lightly on his abdomen and bringing his right knee forward to support Gregor's back properly. Shifting his right hand to cradle Gregor's head, Rex made him comfortable and bowed his head, whispering soft reassurances against Gregor's forehead. Totally devoted to Gregor now, Rex tangled their left hands together, squeezing gently to reassure his sleeping brother that he was safe.

It took a few minutes but Gregor started coming around, leaning into Rex and mumbling something that no one else heard. Shifting a little, he opened his eyes slowly, blinking in the bright light as he looked up at Rex, now having withdrawn a little so Gregor didn't have to strain to see him properly. Slowly Gregor smiled, relaxing into Rex even more and closing his eyes as he sighed contentedly.  
'That's it vod, just relax. You're safe here, I'll protect you.' Rex soothed, glancing up at Gra'tua for a second but he never relaxed his grip on Gregor. 'It's good to finally meet you.'  
'It's really you this time, Rex?' Gregor asked, easing his left hand free and reaching up to rest his knuckles against Rex's cheek.  
'It's really me this time, Gregor. No more holograms, no more barriers, you're home now vod.' Rex nodded, brushing away a lone tear glistening on Gregor's cheek.

Sighing softly at the display on the couch, Gra'tua looked away and got to his feet, walking over to look out the windows at the Coruscant skyline. He knew now that there was little chance of Gregor leaving this place, he'd known that from the first moment Gregor had looked at Rex and smiled. It had taken a couple of days for Gra'tua to get a smile out of Gregor.  
'Cred for your thoughts?' Fives asked, coming up beside him.  
'Guess I wasn't expecting it to be so obvious that Gregor would want to stay here.' Gra'tua shrugged, resting one elbow on the window strut and glancing at Fives. 'I get it of course, I might have gotten Gregor off Abafar but it will always be Rex that truly saved him.'  
'Don't get discouraged, Gra'tua, you'll always be the one that got him to this meeting. Whatever happens next, Gregor won't soon forget the kindness you showed him. Brothers or not, that's got to count for something.' Fives replied, one hand landing on his shoulder.  
'It doesn't count for as much as you might think, Fives.' Gra'tua sighed, pulling a holodisk out of his belt pouches and activating it. 'My old Squad. That's me on this end and our Captain middle left.'  
'I don't get it.' Fives uttered, not sure why Gra'tua was showing him this.  
'Spent the last week with my Captain and nothing. Spent most of his time curled up against me, looking at me and had no idea about what we'd been through.' Gra'tua whispered, not wanting to force Gregor to stay with him if he wanted to stay here with the other mini clones.

Lifting his head when he was called for, Gra'tua sighed softly and padded back to the couch, sinking down beside it and reaching out to rest one hand near Gregor and Rex. It hurt to watch them together but Gra'tua was no coward, he could face this with a smile and break later, once he was alone and protected again.  
'I know that look, Gregor. Can't say I blame you for wanting to stay, you've been alone too long.' Gra'tua nodded, resting his chin on the couch cushions lightly.  
'That wasn't what I was going to say, Gra'tua. I wanted to say thank you for helping me to find my way home. The solo life might be okay for you but it's not my place. Please don't be sad, for the first time in two years I'm happy and it's all because you took the time to search me out. It's because of you that I have my second chance to be the man everyone here knows I can be. For that, I can never thank you enough, vod.' Gregor smiled, reaching out to wrap his left hand over Gra'tua's fingertip.  
'I'm the one who should be thankful, Gregor. You brought light back into my life, showed me what I'd left behind and proved that I've still got a chance to redeem myself. This isn't my time though, I've still got work to do out in the wider galaxy.' Gra'tua replied, shifting his hand a little to run his thumb over Gregor's arm lightly.  
'Redemption doesn't always come from service. Your redemption is out there, saving those that no one else can reach.' Rex added, perceptive as always. 'You have gained so much respect by returning just two brothers to the fold, there are more out there waiting.'  
'That's the plan, Sirs. I might not be a part of the GAR anymore but I can still do my bit to protect our brothers.' Gra'tua nodded, head snapping around when the door chime sounded.

Heaving to his feet, Gra'tua turned and caught his helmet from Fives, slipping it on and moving to stand near the kitchen bench as if he'd just been casually talking to Fives about something. Signalling Fives, he relaxed a little more as his brother stepped over the barrier and opened the door.  
'Senator Amidala, please come in.' Fives greeted, stepping back and offering his hand.  
'Thank you Fives.' she smiled, lifting her skirt a little and stepping over the barrier. 'Oh, I didn't realise you had company.'  
'Quite alright Senator, I was just leaving.' Gra'tua replied, dipping his head respectfully to her. 'I was hired by an anonymous benefactor to transport a troubled clone from his homestead to Coruscant. I was pointed to this apartment by a member of the Coruscant Guard.'  
'Don't rush on my account, I will only be here for a minute.' Senator Amidala offered, turning her attention back to Fives. 'I have been speaking with many of the other Senators that are interested in getting to know the clones outside of a battleground. As such it has been decided that you and your brothers here will be honoured guests at the next Senate Gala.'  
'Ma'am, all due respect but are you sure about this? Clones aren't known for their table manners, even less their ability to make idle small talk with important dignitaries. Are you certain you want us all at this big event?' Fives replied, looking around at his brothers as they gathered to hear the news.  
'A party? We never get to go to parties.' Jester piped up, clambering up onto the table near the couch.  
'A formal party, Jester. Fancy clothes and perfect manners all night.' Fives sighed, scooping Chopper up off the floor and letting him hide inside his jacket.  
'I wouldn't say perfect manners all night, Fives. I've been on duty for a couple of these Galas, good manners go out the window after a few hours.' Fox added, climbing the stairs to look up at Padmé. 'Good day to you Senator.'  
'Good day to you, Commander Fox.' Padmé smiled, crouching and carefully picking him up.  
'But Fives, what about Gregor? He's still fairly banged up, I don't think he'll be up to a big party.' Rex sighed, still keeping a sharp eye on Gregor's condition.  
'I contacted Commander Offee, she's available to assist for the next week or so. She believes she can assist Gregor.' Gree offered, joining Rex and Gregor on the couch. 'I only have to let her know when would be a good time.'  
'Alright, settle down guys.' Fives grinned, letting his gaze drift over his brothers. 'Senator, when exactly in this Gala?'  
'Six weeks from today.' Padmé replied, noting where Fox's attention was. 'Yes, I'm wearing the earrings you relocated for me, Commander.'  
'I thought I recognised them, Ma'am.' Fox nodded, relaxing against her shoulder.

Turning his attention to Gra'tua at the soft call of his name, Fives caught the padded sling thrown his way and slipped it around his chest before looking down at Gregor, considering all the information and working out if it could be done.  
'With six weeks to prepare and some Jedi assistance with Gregor's injuries, I think we can make the party. Organising suitable formal wear for everyone might cause a problem and of course there is the risk of injuries to my brothers. I must consider their safety first of all.' Fives shrugged, looking around again to see if anyone was against the idea.  
'But we don't have any formal wear. We can't wear this to a Senate Gala.' Tup worried, looking down at his simple tunic and pants.  
'I can recommend the services of a very talented tailor team, they should have little trouble creating suitable formal uniforms for all of you.' Padmé offered, removing a data card from her pocket and handing it to Fives. 'Contact them at your leisure but do make sure to give them plenty of time to make everything that will be required.'  
'Thank you Senator, I will make the call within the next few days.' Fives nodded, handing the chip to Dogma and sending him to go put it on the holocomm. 'Gree, get in touch with Commander Offee again. The sooner she can start with Gregor, the better his chances.'

Setting Chopper down on the couch where he was safe, Fives accepted Fox and escorted Senator Amidala to the door again, not exactly sure how this would work out but they had to try for the sake of staying on her good side. There would be hell to pay if Fives and his brothers caused a diplomatic incident by causing a fuss at the party but there was a risk of causing a smaller incident if they refused the invitation.  
'Thank you again for the invitation, Senator. I will inform you by the end of the week regarding our decision.' Fives offered, helping her over the barrier again.  
'That would be very helpful, Fives.' Padmé nodded, smiling at Fives and Fox before leaving the group to discuss the upcoming party.

Removing his helmet once the door was shut, Gra'tua sighed and scrubbed one hand through his hair, scanning the group slowly as Fives came back over and perched on the end of the table.  
'No matter what we do, we're in big trouble now vode. If we say no, we risk offending the people who are allowing us to stay in this grand apartment. If we agree to attend, we risk causing a diplomatic incident. Then of course there are the obvious risks, I don't think I need to explain that to anyone here.' Fives sighed, hanging his head as he tried to work out what to do.  
'Yeah but look at it this way, Fives. If any of the Senators know anything about what happened to us, we might be able to get some hints at the party.' Dogma suggested, scaling Fives' pants and settling on his knee. 'After a few drinks, they're likely to let things slip.'  
'Before you guys start making plans, I really should get going. Miterna is pissed, if I don't get out of here soon she's gonna divorce me and leave me with nothing.' Gra'tua broke in, approaching the couch and kneeling. 'I know I said I'd give you more time to decide but I thought I'd be able to convince Miterna to give me a bit longer.'  
'It's okay Gra'tua, you don't need to explain. Go, live your life and know that one day, I'll find you again. When I do, I'll have it all back, I promise.' Gregor nodded, easing away from Rex a little. 'I'll miss you, vod. Thank you for helping me find my way home.'  
'If you ever need my help again, you know where to look.' Gra'tua smiled, tenderly scooping Gregor up and holding him close lovingly. 'Be safe vod'ika, I'll be waiting to hear of your progress.'

No one said anything about the tears on show as Gra'tua turned and stood, passing Gregor over to Fives and stepping back reluctantly. Humming softly to calm Gregor, Fives tucked him safely into the padded sling, wrapping the attached cloth over Gregor tenderly.  
'Take care of him Fives, no excuses. I hear something has happened to Gregor, and I will come down on you like an AT-TE. You got it, vod?' Gra'tua warned, intensely protective of Gregor, something Fives understood completely.  
'N'jurkad di'kut.' Fives growled, shoving Gra'tua back sharply. 'I am the last of my Squad! My brothers died violent deaths. I will die before allowing another of my brothers to be harmed under my watch.'

Gra'tua knew he'd crossed the line with Fives now. Yanking his helmet on, he turned and fled the apartment as quickly as he could, hudrling the barrier fence and disappearing from sight before the door had even finished opening.  
'Talk about a ba'slan shev'la.' Wolffe remarked, easing away from the wall where he'd taken shelter.  
'It was his one last chance to try and regain Gregor's loyalty. If I'd gone with the soft approach, he would have forcibly removed Gregor from us. I've seen his type before.' Fives shrugged, easing Gregor out of the sling again. 'I'm guessing he hasn't been giving you a lot of freedom to explore on your own.'  
'Not really.' Gregor admitted, shaking slightly as he looked up at Fives again.  
'From here on out, you're free to explore the apartment as much as you want. No more constant cradling unless you need the comfort. I'm sure your brothers will be happy to help you get around, they're all great guys.' Fives nodded, sinking down and beckoning all of his brother's close.

It took a few minutes for Gregor to get used to seeing so many of his brothers all at once but once he got used to so many familiar faces and their different personalities, he relaxed and started opening up to them, gratefully taking in little snippets of the time he'd missed and working out just how much he'd lost. With a little bit of gentle coaxing, he accepted the offer of a decent shower and a change of clothes, slipping out of Fives' hold and relaxing as his brothers worked together to carry him towards the bedroom.

~!~#~O~#~!~

By early evening, Gregor was cleaned up, shaved and dressed in a loose fitting pants and tunic combo done up in blue and yellow random patterns. He'd eaten a big meal too, compared to what most of the mini clones had eaten for their meals. Now he was happily settled between Rex and Cody on the couch, head on Cody's shoulder as he snored softly. Neither seemed to mind that Gregor was using them as a temporary bunk, they just tucked the blanket around him a little more and went back to watching the news broadcast, letting him sleep off another hard day.

Cradling Tup and Dogma to his chest, careful not to disturb their peaceful slumber, Fives adjusted the light blanket draped over them and padded over to open the door, smiling at the sight of Commander Offee with a pack slung over one shoulder.  
'Welcome Commander. Please, come in.' Fives smiled, moving aside and helping her over the barrier.  
'Gree told me you had a situation that required a delicate touch.' Barriss remarked, releasing his hand and looking around. 'He was not very specific.'  
'An anonymous friend of the Republic hired a freighter pilot to return a lost clone to the fold. This particular clone was seriously injured when he was shrunk like so many others and no medical droid available has been able to treat him without serious pain and complications. We thought that a less invasive healing technique might be able to help him.' Fives explained, guiding Barriss over to the couch and kneeling.  
'Good evening Commander Offee.' Cody greeted, adjusting the blanket spread over Gregor. 'Come on vod, time to wake up. You'll feel better soon, I promise.'

Though she would never admit it out loud, Barriss found it so adorable to watch a clone wake up after a long sleep. This one was no exception to that, nose twitching as he stirred and slowly sat up, left hand rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Groaning faintly, he sneezed and looked up at her, eyes widening in disbelief and wonder.  
'Easy Gregor, don't go doing anything stupid.' Rex uttered, helping Gregor get up into a seated position.  
'Gregor, this is Commander Barriss Offee, a Jedi healer. She's going to try and help you.' Fives explained, resting a hand on Barriss' wrist when she tried to reach for Gregor. 'Let it be his choice, Commander. Gregor had endured more than any of us can truly understand.' 

Withdrawing at first, Gregor looked at Barriss nervously, not sure what he should do now. Timidly he eased the blanket off, letting her look at his resin based casts and make up her mind. Looking to Rex for support and getting a supportive smile, he nodded faintly and eased forward a little, pain flaring in his eyes when he tried to put weight on his right arm.

Waving off offers of support from his brothers, he managed to shuffle forward and curl his left hand over her extended finger, looking up into her eyes, so full of compassion and hope for his future. He was still nervous but there was something about Commander Offee that made him feel safe. He knew right then that she would never harm him.  
'Is there somewhere I can work in private?' Barriss asked, looking up at Fives.  
'Use the bedroom, I'm sure the guys won't mind camping on the couch if they have to.' Fives suggested, looking around at the guys relaxing all around the living room. 'I have to ask that you keep the door open though, Commander, at least a little bit. The only suitable 'freshers are in there, they must have access.'  
'That will be perfect, Fives. Thank you.' Barriss nodded, turning her attention back to Fives. 'I will leave the door open wide enough for your brothers to get through but not you.'  
'An acceptable compromise, Commander.' Fives agreed, so glad he'd thought to pack a bag and make the place look as though the Lawquane family weren't there.

Gently scooping Gregor off the couch, Barriss followed Fives' pointing hand and slipped into the bedroom, closing the door most of the way but she made sure to leave it open just a few inches so the rest of the mini clones could get to their 'freshers as needed. Climbing onto the bed, she moved into the very middle and sat, crossing her legs and settling Gregor into the cradle of her long skirt.  
'Just relax Gregor, I will not harm you. Can you tell me how you were injured?' Barriss soothed, watching Gregor get comfortable on her skirt.  
'I was on Abafar, helping a Republic away team escape after their shuttle crashed. They were forced to leave me behind when my position was overrun by battle droids. I don't remember how exactly I came to be so small, the next clear memory I have is waking up trapped under my helmet in a lot of pain.' Gregor explained, trying not to show he was concerned about her towering over him.

Nodding slowly, Barriss placed one hand over him, not quite touching him as she closed her eyes and fell into the Force. His broken bones were an easy fix, they were already starting to knit together again, the makeshift casts holding the bones in perfect alignment to allow the healing. Reaching into the Force, she sped the healing process, coaxing the fragments back into the bones and smoothing out the bone calluses. She was aware of Gregor relaxing a little more under her hand, trust growing as she eased his pain.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Woken by the Coruscant dawn spilling into his eyes, Fives groaned and brought one hand up to shield his eyes, right hand resting protectively over Tup and Dogma as they slept on his chest. He remembered Commander Offee coming to visit them last night and agreeing to try and aid Gregor's recovery. She'd taken over the main bedroom and locked the door open just enough for the mini clones to access their 'freshers but Fives was locked out and forced to sleep on the floor, his brothers sharing the couch.

Sitting up slowly, now using both hands to protect Tup and Dogma, Fives eased them over onto the couch and stood, stretching wide as he got his mind ready for another busy day. His brothers were all still fast asleep, huddled up in little piles on the plush couch. They probably wouldn't wake up for another couple of hours, giving Fives plenty of time to organise breakfast and apologise to Suu and her family for not giving them more info before asking that they all stay in their room until it was safer.

Running one hand through his hair, he padded over to the conservator and pulled the door open, the chill air doing wonders to clear his head of the sleep fog. Grabbing out one of the fruit platters he'd organised the day before, he closed the door and headed through to the second bedroom, fairly sure someone would be awake in there.

Tapping softly on the door, he smiled as the door slid open to reveal Suu was up and ready for another day. Stepping into the room, he offered her the platter and sighed, looking down at the children still asleep in the second bed and Cut resting on the pillow of the bed he was sharing with Suu.  
'I'm sorry about all of this Suu, I wasn't expecting Gra'tua to just drop in like that and cause a ripple of trouble. I should have expected it though, he's known for causing problems and taking off so someone else has to clean up. I certainly didn't expect our newest arrival to be in such bad shape as to require a Jedi healer to put him back together.' Fives offered, returning his gaze to her.  
'You do not have to explain, Fives. You are doing the best you can to protect all of your brothers here and make certain Cut is free to return to Saleucami when the trouble has passed.' Suu replied, resting one hand on his arm. 'You are a good man, Lieutenant, do not forget that.'  
'Thanks Suu. You shouldn't be stuck in here for too much longer, I just need to confirm Commander Offee has left and you'll be free to move about the apartment again.' Fives sighed, looking down at Cut again.  
'Have you had any more thoughts on Cut's other idea?' Suu asked, setting the fruit on the table between the beds and turning back to Fives.  
'I have, Suu. I thought about it a lot last night. As much as I hate to leave Cut out of anything while he had a chance to be with his brothers and close the door on that part of his life, I can't justify the risks involved in allowing him to come along. Just because we were told this is a Senate Gala doesn't mean there won't be Jedi there too. If they spot Cut, we're all dead for sheltering a Republic deserter.' Fives explain, careful to keep his voice down, just in case. 'I'm not kidding around Suu. Rex and I will take a heavy punishment, Cut will probably end up in front of a firing squad and everyone else who knew will face long jail terms.'  
'I will explain this to Cut.' Suu promised, glancing over at her husband.  
'Don't bother, I heard everything.' Cut replied, sitting up slowly. 'I'm starting to wonder if I should have even bothered coming here if I have to keep hiding.'  
'Look, I can't risk you at this party but I don't see why we can't throw our own party on another night. Something that suits our style more.' Fives suggested, trying to calm the situation down again.  
'Don't worry about it.' Cut sighed, grabbing the cord attached to the bed and climbing down. 'I'm just a simple farmer anyway. I don't belong among Senators and dignitaries.'

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Fives just shrugged and looked at Suu for a moment before leaving the room. As much as he wanted to prove Cut wrong, Fives knew he couldn't risk it if Commander Offee was still in the apartment. Their debate would have to be postponed until it was safer to openly debate the pros and cons of Cut coming to the gala and all he would be risking.  
'See if you can talk him around Suu. I'll go see if any of the guys have any bright ideas on how it might be possible to sneak Cut into the gala and keep him out of sight of anyone that could cause trouble.' Fives sighed, turning on his heel and leaving the room.

Returning to the kitchen, he got stuck into making breakfast, having already noted that the door into his bedroom was still only partly open so it was a good chance that their Jedi guest was still in there. Shaking his head slowly, Fives organised another full sized setting at the dining table, figuring the least he could do for her was offer her a decent breakfast. Hopefully he could organise something she would enjoy.  
'Good morning Fives.' Commander Offee greeted, emerging from the bedroom.  
'Good morning Commander.' Fives smiled, setting out a platter of cut fruit on the bench. 'What would you like for breakfast?'  
'Whatever you are making for everyone else will be fine.' Barriss replied, making her way over to the bench. 'I do apologise for taking over your bed for the night.'  
'No apologies necessary, Commander. Sleeping on the floor occasionally is good for me, I do it on the cruiser anyway.' Fives shrugged, turning to stir the porridge he'd started cooking. 'I hope you at least got some rest last night.'  
'A few hours.' Barriss nodded, taking a seat on one of the stools at the bench.  
'And how is Gregor this morning?' Fives nodded, switching on the kaf machine and hooking out a second mug. 'Tea or kaf for you Commander? The tea is a particular favourite of Senator Amidala and Senator Organa recommended this brand of kaf.'  
'I think I will try the tea, thank you.' Barriss smiled, readjusting her hood quickly. 'Gregor is doing much better today. He said he was going to go take a shower before breakfast.'

Looking past the young Jedi sitting at the counter, Fives smiled softly as he watched his brothers rousing from peaceful slumber to face another day where nothing made any real sense. This incident had shaken each one of them, leaving them all doubting their abilities and looking for any comfort and confidence boosters they could find.  
'Fives?' Jester called softly, sounding like he'd just had a nasty fright.  
'I'm right here, Jester. It's okay, I'm right here.' Fives soothed, stirring the porridge again before heading for the couch and deftly scooping Jester up.  
'We'll be big again, won't we?' Jester asked, burrowing into Fives' shirt and holding on tight.  
'Of course you will, Jester. It's going to be okay, this can't last forever.' Fives nodded, left hand curled over Jester's back to comfort him as he went back to organising breakfast. 'Whatever happens, I will protect you, vod'ika. No matter what.'

Barriss could only watch in amazement as Fives went back to organising breakfast, Jester nestled safely in against his chest, tiny hands clinging to his shirt. Then she turned her attention to the couch, watching the rest of the mini clones getting going and trying to shake the sleep from their minds.  
'Oh, good morning Commander.' Gree called, wriggling out from under some of his brothers and standing.  
'Good morning Gree.' Barriss smiled, accepting the mug Fives placed in front of her. 'Thank you Fives.'  
'Come on guys, breakfast is almost ready.' Fives called, slotting the tray of little mugs into the second kaf machine on the bench and taking the pot off the heat.

In various states of dress, the mini clones scrambled off the couch and raced across the apartment floor, hitting the ladders firmly attached to the dining table and scaling up as quickly as they could. Chuckling softly, Fives poured their porridge out into a shallow, wide bowl and set it on the table, leaving the guys to get their own meals as he turned back for the kaf.  
'Rex, before you start stuffing your face again, would you go see if you can find Gregor. Commander Offee said he was taking a shower but I haven't heard or seen any sign of him yet.' Fives requested, slipping the tray of mugs out and carrying them over to the table.  
'I'm on it.' Rex nodded, sliding down one of the cords also attached to the table and racing away.  
'You'd best get in there before its all gone Jester.' Fives grinned, setting the mugs on the table and gently releasing Jester's grip on his shirt. 'I'm not going anywhere.'

Darting into the bedroom, Rex went straight under the bed, not really bothered by the dust under there. Out the other side and he checked the neatly made bunks but there was no sign of Gregor there, everything was where it had been yesterday. Turning for the 'fresher, he froze at the sound of a pained groan, it was barely audible but he got the idea.  
'Fives!' he yelled, grabbing his own towel just in case and running into the 'fresher to check on what had gone so wrong for Gregor.

Skidding on the tiles, Rex slipped and fell, landing heavily on the pale grey tiles now slick with moisture. Pushing up again, ignoring the blood dripping from a collection of scratches on his chest and knees, he kept moving, searching out Gregor in the row of smaller cubicles. Finally his search was rewarded, finding Gregor on the floor of the furthest cubicle in the last shower block of the row.  
'Easy now Gregor, I'm here.' Rex soothed, ignoring the water on the floor as he eased down to kneel beside Gregor. 'What happened?'  
'I slipped and fell.' Gregor replied, hissing in pain as Rex eased him up to sit back against the wall. 'I thought I'd be okay on my own, I was feeling a lot stronger after that healing.'  
'You're not the first brother to realise that Jedi healing has limitations.' Rex shrugged, reaching up to turn off the water. 'Hopefully you haven't undone all the hard work Commander Offee put into you.'  
'I don't think so, it's mainly my head.' Gregor offered, tipping his head forward so Rex could see the ragged gash on the back, half hidden by his hair.  
'Where are you Rex?' Fives called, his heavy footsteps shaking the floor a little.  
'Last shower block. Gregor took a tumble, he's got a nasty looking head wound.' Rex replied, knowing full well that Fives would never be able to get at them. 'We need to get out of here. Fives can't help while we're in here.'  
'Just stay put for a minute you two.' Fives instructed, turning and walking away quickly. 'Kix! We've got a situation that could use your expert knowledge.'

Recognising what Fives was thinking, Rex reaching up to flick the shower on again, just a mere trickle as he dampened his towel and guided Gregor to lean against him comfortably. As gently as he could, he washed the excess blood away, trying to see just how bad it was back here.  
'Where else does it hurt Gregor? I need you to focus, can't have you blacking out on me now.' Rex tried, going back to command tricks to try and keep Gregor conscious and responsive.  
'It's mostly my head but I think I might have twisted my ankle when I tried to catch my fall.' Gregor replied, fingers digging into Rex's back when it really started to hurt.  
'How's the arm?' Rex nodded, wetting the towel again and continuing to work at the wound.  
'Its okay, took the brunt of the impact on the other side. A little achy from the jarring but not too bad.' Gregor replied, whimpering in pain as Rex hit the worst part of the injury. 'Same for my leg, except for my ankle is throbbing like kriff.'

Glancing up when Kix joined them in the cramped space, Rex nodded sharply and shuffled back to make room for the trained medic to take a look, passing on all that he'd learnt from Gregor as they'd waited for added assistance.  
'It's a good thing Commander Offee is still here, I can't do much about any of this without my kit.' Kix sighed, looking closely at the head wound. 'I don't think you cracked the bone, but she'll be able to check for any microfractures.'  
'Before or after she goes off at me for doing something stupid?' Gregor asked, sagging into Kix's strength a little more. 'Kriff I feel sick.'  
'Possibly scored a concussion from that knock. You're lucky you didn't scramble your mind again, you've already got enough problems with your memories.' Kix shrugged, sitting back and peering into Gregor's eyes. 'Pupil reactions seem normal but I can't be sure without the right equipment.'  
'My memories…' Gregor uttered, eyes slipping closed slowly.  
'Gregor?' Kix asked, shaking him quickly.  
'Wait a moment Kix, I think he's trying to remember something. Maybe that knock did some good.' Rex uttered, resting one hand on Gregor's shoulder. 'Just wait and see.'  
'I am Captain Gregor, leader of Republic Commando Squad 31, Flame Squad, assigned to the 212th Attack Battalion under the command of Commander Cody and General Obi-Wan Kenobi.' Gregor recited, eyes popping open in shock.  
'What'd I tell you Kix, he's okay.' Rex grinned, amazed by what Gregor had just said but so glad to see a noticeable improvement in his mind.  
'I've heard of that working but I never believed it was true.' Kix mused, shaking his head in wonder. 'Up you get Gregor, let's get you out to the Commander for treatment.'  
'Don't you guys think I should at least put some clothes on?' Gregor shrugged, accepting their help to regain his feet.  
'Yeah but there's no point trying to get dressed while you're still dripping wet.' Rex nodded, supporting Gregor as Kix grabbed the towel hanging nearby and dried Gregor off properly.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Patched up again and warned about doing anything else to jeopardise his healing, Gregor was still going over the information that his fall had unlocked. Some of what he remembered now scared him and made him wish he'd never regained his memories. Along with memories of his training and all his combat missions, he remembered the horrors of the Battle of Sarrish and his crash on Abafar. It was all so painful to remember, slamming into his mind before he'd even had a chance to think about the last memories he'd unlocked.

Spoon clattering from his fingers, he clutched his head as faces and names flashed into his mind, hundreds of memories of his Squad swamping him and threatening to drown him.  
'Gregor? Are you alright vod?' Rex asked, coming up beside him and squeezing his shoulders lightly.  
'My Squad…Catapult, Arrow and Trigger.' Gregor uttered, trying to relax into Rex's touch. 'I remember seeing Trigger getting blown to pieces and Catapult dying in my arms. But Arrow…I don't know what happened to him. He was there when I tried to get help, I left him on Sarrish to rally some troops we located hunkered down behind a destroyed AT-TE.'  
'Arrow is still around, he went rogue and fled the GAR after word came in you'd been listed MIA. No one has seen much of him since.' Cody offered, looking up from his meal. 'Sorry the news couldn't be better Gregor. We've tried tracking him down occasionally but no one knows where he is.'  
'That's not completely true, Cody. I know where Arrow is and how he's doing.' Fives corrected, looking up from where he was reading a data pad. 'Arrow is Gra'tua, he showed me a holopic of the Squad, identifying himself and Gregor as members of the same Commando team. From what I know of translating holopics into full colour, I'm guessing Arrow's armour used to have red markings on it.'  
'Catapult had black markings on his armour and Trigger chose orange. That's where we got the name Flame Squad.' Gregor nodded, wincing when the movement made his head throb again.  
'Maybe you should try and get some rest Gregor. You've been through a lot, your mind needs time to catch up and your body could use a chance to reinforce the healings you've had.' Kix suggested, finishing his snack and sitting back.  
'Maybe you're right.' Gregor allowed, feeling absolutely exhausted in every way.  
'Probably best to put Gregor to bed somewhere in the barracks. The tailor team will be here later to start on the measurements for the formal gear we'll all need for the party. No arguments, everyone has to be measured up individually. Clones we might be but certain people have a little extra bulk in places.' Fives shrugged, getting up and gently gathering Gregor into his hands. 'Get some rest, vod, you're in safe hands now. I'll come and get you when it's your turn to be measured up.'  
'Okay vod.' Gregor nodded, holding tight as Fives gathered up Rex and Kix then gently set the trio down safely at the top of the stairs.


	8. Party Prep

Still not exactly sure why this tailor had asked for some basic measurements before arriving at the apartment, Fives did a quick clean up of the apartment and tried not to show he didn't like not knowing exactly what they were getting into. There was something about this whole situation that agitated him. Exactly what that was he couldn't be sure but he didn't like it.

Opening the door when it chimed, Fives was a little surprised to see an older man standing there with four droids carrying several piles of folded cloth in various colours. Short and wiry, grey hair slicked back smoothly and dark green eyes, he was dressed in neat casuals that looked different to most of the civilian clothes Fives had seen. A second later and he got it; these clothes were made with the greatest of care by the man who wore them.  
'Ah, you must be Mr Tuhar. Please, come inside.' Fives greeted, unlocking one end of the barrier fence and pulling it aside to allow the group access.  
'I must say, Lieutenant, when Senator Organa came to me with this unique request, I was quite surprised to find so many of our brave soldiers had been struck down by a mysterious ailment.' Mr Tuhar remarked, entering the apartment and sending his droids to wait in the living room. 'Has there been any further news on this unique situation.'  
'Unfortunately not, Mr Tuhar. We are still waiting to hear if anyone out in the wider galaxy has heard anything.' Fives replied, locking the barrier back into place and turning to face the tailor. 'I trust you were given the updated requirements. We had another mini clone join us; he will also be attending the gala.'  
'I was informed of the updated numbers, yes. I have organised basic outfits for everyone going off the measurements you provided.' Mr Tuhar nodded, indicating the piles of cloth that his droids were holding.

Looking at all the little bundles as they were sorted, the mini clones were all wary of what was being put out on display. Fives didn't need the Force to know they weren't happy about any of this fuss, they were mere soldiers, this extra fuss wasn't something they wanted. At the same time though, they couldn't afford to cause an incident and risk losing the senatorial support they were getting.  
'Perhaps it would be best if I started this. My brothers are unsure about all this fuss.' Fives offered, not completely comfortable with the idea but he had to do something to ease their minds.  
'Of course, I have yours right here.' Mr Tuhar smiled, pulling out a larger bundle of cloth and handing it to Fives. 'Pants, shirt and tunic all made to your measurements. Do be careful as you put them on, the seams are currently held together with pins.'  
'Thank you.' Fives smiled, accepting his clothes and stepping into his bedroom to change. He wasn't naturally modest but he'd noticed civilians were strange like that.

Heads coming up when they heard Fives coming out again, the mini clones all sat up a little more, eager to see what sort of a new uniform they would be given for this gala. Jaws dropped at the sight of him in all his new finery, it wasn't finished yet but all could see the potential of this new outfit and how good it would make them look.

Crisp black pants, perfectly straight creases running down the legs and hugging every powerful curve of Fives' thighs and calves. Over this he wore a pale grey tunic, the edges of the breast panel picked out in a darker grey and his rank insignia proudly worn on the left side of his chest. The collar was lower cut than a standard Republic officer tunic, revealing a flash of white at his throat.  
'Ah yes, this cut is just perfect for your figure Lieutenant. For now we can make any adjustments as needed and later get onto the remaining pieces of your outfit for this grand event.' Tuhar smiled, one foot resting on a plain stool that Fives didn't recognise.  
'There's more to this? I thought I was looking good with just this much.' Fives blinked, looking down at his new formal gear.  
'Of course there is more, Lieutenant. Around Senators and diplomats, the better the outfit the easier you will be accepted.' Tuhar beamed, circling Fives slowly. 'A little flash of your unit colouring attached to your collar and a cloak to match.'  
'Well this is bound to be eye catching.' Fives muttered, hoping that word of this never got back to the rest of the 501st.  
'You'll be the most handsome man at the gala.' Tuhar agreed, moving back a step. 'Hop up on the stool and I'll start making the needed adjustments. Whenever your brothers are ready, my droids are here to assist with their outfits.'

Stepping up onto the stool when Tuhar moved back, Fives kept his attention on his brothers as the older man started to adjust the way the half finished clothes fitted to his body. It felt so strange for someone to be making such a fuss over his wardrobe but he obviously had instructions of his own and there was nothing Fives could say about the treatment.

It took a few minutes of watching Fives getting this treatment before some of his brothers started moving towards the waiting droids. Showing a lot more bravery than ever expected, Tup climbed up onto the arm of the couch and launched out towards one of the droids. Landing safely on the extended platform, he looked up at the almost gentle faceplates of the droid he'd chosen as it rolled over to the table where all the little piles were waiting.  
'Name and company colour please.' the droid requested, one hand reaching for the cloth piles.  
'Tup, 501st blue.'  
'Sounds like we're all getting the same treatment.' Cody remarked, heading for a second droid and settling on the flat panel attached to the torso. 'Commander Cody, 212th orange.'  
'This is so weird.' Gree remarked, landing on the third droid and sitting down for safely. 'Commander Gree, 41st green.'  
'Look at it this way; we'll be the first clones to have clothes tailored specifically for us.' Boost grinned, vaulting to the last waiting droid. 'Boost, 104th grey.'

~!~#~O~#~!~

Wandering out of the bedroom a few hours later, Gregor stopped at the top of the stairs and looked around in confusion and disbelief, completely shocked to see a strange man with his hands on Fives' leg and four weird looking droids working with his brothers.  
'Don't freak out Gregor, its okay.' Rex called, sitting on the couch and waiting patiently. 'These are the tailors here to fit us for our formal wear.'  
'We didn't wake you did we, Gregor?' Fives asked, keeping still as the older man kept working on his outfit, pinning the seams and making sure the fit was perfect.  
'No, my stomach woke me up. Still feeling off colour.' Gregor shrugged, accepting Bly's help to get down the stairs and up onto the couch.  
'Just as soon as Mr Tuhar is finished with my pants, I'll find you something light to eat.' Fives offered, worried about Gregor's health.  
'Bad idea, still feeling lousy.' Gregor warned, finding a spot to curl up and resting his head on Chopper's thigh comfortably. 'Just wanted to be with my brothers for a while.'  
'We're all here for you, Gregor. This must all be still a little strange for you, so long alone and then suddenly you're surrounded by brothers.' Chopper soothed, idly running his fingers through Gregor's hair.  
'It's not so strange anymore. Seeing the hologram of Rex in my apartment when I thought I was just another nobody, now that was strange.' Gregor admitted, snuggling closer to Chopper. 'Thanks for being here, vod. This doesn't quite feel real yet.'  
'Whatever you need, vod, we're all here for you.' Sinker promised, shifting over to sit beside Chopper so he could reassure Gregor of his constant companions.

Noting the way Gregor didn't seem to care too much about where he'd previously served and company loyalty, Fox wondered if maybe they should make a point of his uniqueness among clones. Everyone else clung desperately to their unit identities, refusing to wear any other colour on their armour and mainly only hanging around with their own Company brothers. But Gregor, he didn't care if he sat with his 212th brothers or mingled with the 104th, he was just glad to be back around his brothers.  
'Hey Gregor, I've got a question.' Fox called, making his way across the couch to sit near Gregor's feet.  
'What's on your mind, Fox?' Gregor asked, not moving from his comforting position.  
'Well, we're all being asked to give our company colour for the cloaks we're supposed to wear for this gala. But I've noticed you don't seem to identify strictly as one company or another. So which one would you pick?' Fox asked, stretching out beside Gregor.  
'How am I supposed to answer that when I don't even know what my options are? Come on Fox, I've only known you all for a couple days.' Gregor chuckled, shifting a little and humming in contentment.  
'Well, there's 501st blue, 212th orange and Coruscant Guard scarlet.' Sinker listed, careful not to bump Gregor's injuries as he moved.  
'104th grey, 41st green and 327th yellow. That's just what we've got here, there's a rainbow of other options out there.' Chopper added, also curious about which one Gregor would pick.  
'I guess the loyal thing to do would be to go back to wearing 212th orange, that's where I was last assigned. I don't know if that's the right choice for me though. I don't feel like I belong to any specific company anymore, I'm a lost soul without a Squad or a Company.' Gregor sighed, reaching out to curl his left hand over Fox's wrist.  
'So perhaps you should go with something different, something that marks you as someone truly unique. Something that pays tribute to all you've endured and your return to our family.' Bly suggested, joining the group around Gregor.  
'Whatever colour you want, we can make it happen for you.' the strange man added, looking up from where he was still working with Fives.

Squirming closer to Sinker without giving up his place on Chopper's thigh or letting go of Fox, Gregor considered all of his options, trying to find a colour that he could feel comfortable wearing for a formal event. No one colour felt right to him, not if there really was a rainbow of colours out there. He felt safe when Rex was watching his back and really trusted in Fives but he didn't feel comfortable with the idea of wearing 501st blue when he wasn't a member. Going with 212th orange didn't feel right either, it had been years since he'd truly been a part of that Company.

Dismissing purples and pinks of every shade and turning away from all permutations of blues and greens, he briefly considered black but quickly tossed that idea for being a bit too foreboding and withdrawn. Mentally flicking through browns and oranges, his perfect colour hit him and he knew exactly what he wanted his cloak to represent.  
'Can you make it white?' he asked, fully aware that he would have to explain his choice to his brothers.  
'White? Certainly, I have some suitable fabric with me so we can measure up a brand new one to suit.' the stranger nodded, stepping away from Fives and looking through the piles of cloth.  
'Why white, vod?' Draa asked, sinking down beside Chopper.  
'This is a fresh start for me, a clean slate with a new chance to make my life. No Squad, no Company, no colours to call my own anymore. I know I used to run with the 212th but it's been two years, ner vode, I don't feel right to just pick up where I left off.' Gregor explained, relaxing into the constants of his brothers all around him.  
'Whatever you decide to do when this is all over, we'll all support your choice.' Tup nodded, joining the group around Gregor and worming in close to the lost commando.  
'Now you really are home, vod.' Hardcase uttered, sinking to one knee behind Chopper. 'Tup won't rest near just anyone, he's been hurt too many times to trust easily.'  
'I'll keep him safe, Hardcase.' Gregor promised, draping his injured arm over Tup's side and holding him close. 'Rest vod'ika, I'm here.'

~!~#~O~#~!~

By early evening, everyone in the apartment was absolutely exhausted but finally they'd been able to say at least a temporary farewell to the craftsmen that had come to the apartment. Mr Tuhar and his sewing droids promised to be back again in a few days for the next fitting, wanting to be sure all of the outfits were properly fitted and looking as good as they could.

They'd also been visited by a Mr Rensin, a Twi'lek male that specialised in making high quality leather footwear. He'd also brought an assistance droid along and seemed completely stunned by the tiny scale he would have to work on for the most part. He'd spent quite a while measuring up everyone and calculating how much space to allow for comfort. He'd promised to do his best to make the boots to his usual high quality but with such small sizes, he wasn't too sure about how he would go.

Finally they were alone again and Fives sunk back on the couch, his brothers sprawling contentedly all over him. They were all exhausted, this business with getting formal clothes and worrying about their manners at the gala was telling on them.  
'Fives, why did you ask Mr Tuhar to make a couple of spare mini outfits with white cloaks?' Thire asked, lifting his head from Stone's back.  
'Just in case we need them. One will go to Cut, even if he never wears it. At least he'll know we didn't forget about him.' Fives replied, looking up as Suu emerged from the bedroom and settled on the second couch with her kids and Cut resting on her shoulder.  
'Maybe there's a way that Suu and the kids don't have to hide all the time.' Rex mused, looking up from where he was absently running his fingers through Cody's hair.  
'I thought about that too, Rex.' Fives grinned, lightly tracing one finger down Rex's back. 'Suu, I was thinking that if we introduced you as a kind woman for the lower levels that we met out on a morning run, I can't see any reason why the Senators would object to your presence up here.'  
'I have no interest in going to the gala, Fives.' Suu replied, lifting Cut down to sit on her lap.  
'I wasn't even going to suggest it. If we go with this idea though, you won't have to hide every time we have visitors. You could go about with something more like a normal life and no one is likely to notice Cut in amongst all the others. The Senators that come to visit can probably only name about half the group, the Jedi only know their own troops and don't really care about any others. So another face in the crowd won't even be noticed.' Fives offered, looking over his exhausted brothers as they relaxed and drifted.  
'Don't I get a say in any of this?' Cut asked, getting to his feet.  
'Of course you do, vod. I'm just trying to explain my position, I've got so many things to balance and I'm doing the best I can to make sure everyone gets a fair go.' Fives nodded, soothing Champion when he threatened to start thrashing around.

Looking up at his treasured wife and children, Cut knew that his personal feelings about staying out of sight and trying not to draw attention to their identities didn't matter anymore. It was fear that drove him to keep his family hidden, fear pushed him to keep them out of sight and safe. But right now, he had nothing to be fearful of, no one around here knew them and he was nothing remarkable anymore. He was back to being another face in the crowd and that was okay with him.  
'Fives, you'd better take care of my family. We're all taking a huge risk and I don't like the idea.' Cut sighed, dropping his gaze. 'I'm so used to having to watch my back all the time, anyone could be a threat to what I've built with my family.'  
'Cut, nothing will happen to your family while we're in this situation. I will guard them as faultlessly as I guard my brothers.' Fives promised, glancing down at his brothers as they rested on him. 'We are all family, through blood, battle or wedded bliss.'  
'You are a wise man, Fives.' Suu smiled, looking down at her husband. 'You know me well, Cut. Fives does not have to defend the family alone. I am capable of holding this place if I must.'  
'There's not going to be any fighting in here, Suu. Security is tight up here, no one wants to see a repeat of when several Senators were taken hostage by Cad Bane. This is the safest place we could be, few know of our presence and fewer can get near us.' Fives corrected, settling some of his brothers again when they stirred, troubled by dreams.

A little shocked when Suu picked him up, Cut relaxed again as she came around the coffee table and set him down on Fives' chest, tucked in amongst his brothers. Then came the greater surprise when Reaper rolled over and threw one arm over Cut's thighs, burrowing in close to him.  
'Its official Cut, you're part of the group.' Fives grinned, settling on the cushions a little more and closing his eyes. 'And we've figured out a way to slip you into the party. It'll require you getting a haircut but it's highly doubtful anyone will even notice an extra body.'  
'I don't know about this, Fives.' Cut sighed, sinking back and resting his head on Spitter's thigh.  
'Go, Cut, enjoy a night out with your brothers. We will be fine, I already have some thoughts on what we can do while you are all out having a good time.' Suu nodded, looking down at their children as they curled closer to her.  
'But I've missed the first fitting.' Cut replied, finding a strange comfort in idly running his fingers over Reaper's side.  
'Already taken care of, Cut. Might not have the same perfect tailoring as all the rest but I asked Mr Tuhar to make up a couple of spare full outfits with white cloaks and collar decorations just in case. He'll take the averages of all the mini outfits and make the spares to that pattern.' Fives explained, noting that his voice and the vibrations through his chest seemed to bring comfort to his brothers as they rested.  
'Would you like me to make a start on the evening meal, Fives? It looks like you're not going anywhere for a little while.' Suu offered, smiling softly at the sight of Fives tending to all of his brothers at once.  
'everything is just about ready to go, I've learned to prep ahead just in case something comes up that occupies most of any day.' Fives nodded, listening to Tup and Dogma snoring softly under his right ear.

Smiling fondly at the loving image on the second couch, Suu slipped out from between her children and headed for the kitchen, humming along with the holonet channel playing quietly in the corner. It was almost like back on the farm, her husband relaxing on the couch with the kids as she prepared their meals once the chores were done. The only real difference was the soft song coming from Fives when she was so used to hearing Cut reading with the kids.

She didn't recognise the words Fives was using, weaving into the air and blotting out the background music. He kept his voice down but still managed to push it out with enough strength to make the apartment ring with a melody that was so eerie and yet familiar to Suu. Then she heard a word she recognised, one she'd heard Cut say many times before but he'd never explained what it meant or where he'd learnt it.

Getting out the food Fives had prepared and left in the conservator, she got busy in the kitchen, listening to the soft voice of a soldier torn from his home and extensive family. Suu couldn't claim to fully understand clones, Cut hadn't been comfortable explaining his distorted life and she'd never pushed. Tonight though, she was getting a look into what his life had once been, apart from the size difference. This was the first time she'd ever seen Cut completely relaxed.

Even in their own bed or when he took the occasionally afternoon nap on the couch, he was tense and uneasy, as if expecting to be called into action at any moment. He'd been like that since she'd first met him and had never seemed to be able to let go of that tension. But here, burrowed in among his brothers, using one for a pillow and cradling another to his side, safe in the embrace of Fives, he was completely relaxed and at ease, sprawled like all of his siblings.

Without even noticing it, Suu started humming along with Fives' words, following his tune and not even trying to understand what it was about or why she got the feeling it had something to do with a lost clone. To her it was a beautiful piece of music and she knew she'd never forget it, regardless of where her life took her or if she ever heard it again.

Even the children were captivated, putting their reading aside and turning their full attention to Fives and his music. He just ignored them, making sure his brothers were safe as he pushed the song upward and onward, curling it around everyone and giving the impression of finding a new family as the words rang with hope and love.

Suu would never again underestimate the soldiers she heard about, the brothers Cut had left behind. They were more than soldiers, more than even Cut had shown her they could be when he turned his hands to farming. Fives had his fair share of scars, she'd seen some one morning when he'd foregone a shirt in his haste to get breakfast going and he'd told her of others. And yet somehow, through everything he'd faced and survived, he managed to hold onto his gentler side.

Finally falling quiet, Fives tipped his head to the side and then back, avoiding the brothers draped over his shoulders and under his jaw. Catching Suu's eyes, he smiled and rolled one shoulder in a faint shrug.  
'You have a good voice for music, Fives.' Suu praised, tending to the finely cut vegetables as she spoke.  
'It seems to be instinctive for me, I don't have to think about the words or the melody, it just happens. It takes time for my brothers around me to learn the music I know, they can but it's not as easy for them. We all have our own skills, it just takes time to find them.' Fives explained, soothing his brothers again without taking his eyes off Suu.  
'I had no idea. Cut does not speak of his past much, I think he is concerned I will think less of him if I knew what he had to endure.' Suu shrugged, continuing with the cooking and trying not to sound bitter.  
'He'll come around eventually, just be patient and don't rush him to speak of his struggles. Life as a clone isn't easy, we have nothing from the day we're hatched. We don't understand affection until we learn from our older brothers or figure it out ourselves. To have a name is the greatest treasure, so many of our brothers die without even that simple right.' Fives sighed, shaking his head slowly. 'We are left to grieve those we lose because no one else cares enough.'  
'I have heard Cut muttering names in the darkness, along with something I do not understand.' Suu nodded, tipping the vegetables out onto a waiting platter and starting the shreds of meat cooking.  
'Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum.' Fives offered, sorrow in his dark eyes at the words.  
'Yes, those are the words he uses.' Suu confirmed, the question obvious in her gaze.  
'I'm still alive but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal.' Fives translated, eyes closing for a moment. 'Every brother says it, followed by a list of names of those we were closest to that are no longer with us on the battlefields.'  
'Thank you.' Suu nodded, dropping her gaze. 'At least I know my husband is not going crazy.'  
'Suu, every clone is just a little crazy. We have to be to do what we do.' Fives chuckled, flashing her a quick smile.


	9. Senate Gala

Sinking down onto his bunk, Waxer pulled his socks on and reached for his boots, quickly checking to make sure the pair he grabbed were his and not Boil's pair. It didn't really matter, they were all the same but they'd all been wearing them in the last few days and Waxer knew that the liners inside would be different from the way Boil tended to roll in on his right ankle.

Releasing the six silver catches down the outside of his new boots, Waxer pulled them on as Boil sunk down beside him, leaning over to press a light kiss to his temple. Returning the kiss, Waxer tugged his left boot on fully and bent to do up the catches, pulling the glistening leather tight against his calf. The dark brown leather shone in the light, the catches adding a touch of sparkle that made the dark leather pop out from the black of his pants.

Working the other boot on, Waxer waited for Boil to finish getting his boots on before standing and grabbing the two orange ruffle things from the bed. Smoothing out the three layers of cloth, Boil handed one to Waxer and lifted his chin, holding still as he slipped the locking clip through the added fabric on the collar of his shirt and secured it into place. Smiling softly at his favourite brother, Boil stroked Waxer's cheek and guided his head back, fastening the second ruffle thing into place.

Further up the line, Jek removed his dark red cloak from the hanger and flicked it over his left shoulder, securing the short chain around his neck and anchoring it under the reinforced fabric loop attached to the right shoulder of his tunic.  
'Can I get some help here?' he requested, trying to grasp the second chain hanging from the cloak.  
'I've got it.' Jesse nodded, putting one hand on Jek's shoulder and snagging the longer chain. Threading it through the second reinforcing loop, Jesse untwisted the links and draped the shining gold chain across Jek's chest before fastening the end to the red cloth, making sure the Republic insignia on the clasp was the right way around.

The cloaks were designed to stay in position without extra attachments, cut to hold the shoulder and weighted to hang properly. The chains were more decoration, one draped short across the neckline to sit just under the collar decorations and high on the right shoulder. The longer chain went under the right arm and up across the chest, leading the eye towards the rank markings worn just at the edge of the cloaks.

Down at the other end of the bunks, Bly straightened his tunic and checked his cloak one last time before picking up the other surprise that had turned up with their formal wear. Everyone had gotten one of these little boxes, whoever made them was still a mystery but the contents proved that someone out there was paying attention to the battles fought in the wider galaxy.

Lifting out the carefully made bars full of brightly coloured pieces of cloth, Bly fastened them to his tunic on the right side, slotting them in between the chains of his cloak. So far he had six full rows of these little ribbons, each row held twelve different ribbons and a part row holding seven more.  
'Champion, are these on straight?' he asked, trying to work it out from his poor angle.  
'Close but not quite, Sir.' Champion grinned, readjusting the bars and making sure they were straight in all directions. 'Want me to neaten your rank bar while I'm here?'  
'I thought I had that right.' Bly sighed, watching as his second adjusted the other bar.  
'Close, it just had to come over a little so it didn't disappear under your cloak.' Champion nodded, moving the rank badge out and resecuring it.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Doing a final check of his outfit and making sure he was a shining example of the GAR; Fives let Suu check his collars were straight before turning to check on his brothers. They were all waiting quietly near the door, everyone organised behind their direct superiors except for Cut and Gregor, standing together at the far end.  
'Six, five, eight, five, five, four, two…and we've got all 35.' Fives grinned, grabbing the repulsorcart from where it was always kept. 'I know this isn't exactly dignified but it's safer than being on the floor.'  
'At least if this is around, we'll have a place to go if we need a break from the party.' Spitter nodded, double checking his rank bar.  
'That's why I put the cover on it and requested Senators Amidala and Organa explain that the cart will be your refuge if you need some time.' Fives explained, swinging the ladder down and holding the cart steady for his brothers.

Darting away from the group, Cut was quickly swept up by his loving wife and cradled to her chest for a tender hug. Naturally he was worried for the family, he knew Suu could take care of the kids in his absence but this was different. There was no rifle in easy reach here.  
'We will be fine here, Cut. I promise you, I will not open the door for anyone.' Suu soothed, careful not to crease his uniform. 'You go and have a good time, we will be safe here.'  
'Our senatorial supporters have been informed that you are here with your children. For your safety they have ordered guards posted outside the door, no one will get anywhere near you.' Fives added, turning back to Suu and the children. 'I didn't have a lot of choice; they wanted to know why I needed the extra passes for the apartment.'  
'See Cut, we will be quite safe. Go and have fun, we will see you when you get back.' Suu nodded, crouching so Shaeeah and Jekk could say goodbye before she carried Cut over to the waiting cart.  
'Just remember Cut, best behaviour and don't say anything incriminating. Safest thing to do would probably be to play stubborn. Refuse to tell any details due to mission security and give part of your number instead of a name.' Fox shrugged, helping Cut into the cart.  
'Part of my number?' Cut asked, not exactly sure what Fox was thinking.  
'Well, I'm CT-7567.' Rex offered, coming up beside Fox. 'So I'd probably go with 67. There are probably thousands of brothers with a 67 somewhere in their number; no one can be sure which one is my number.'  
'I suppose if you wanted to be really sneaky, going with 77 would really throw people off the scent.' Cut shrugged, right hand running through his freshly trimmed hair. 'On that note, I'll go with 57.'  
'Did everyone hear that? For security reasons, while out in public we will address Cut as 57.' Fox called, making sure the word got around to all of their brothers.  
'Don't look so worried Suu, it's for your protection as much as his. No one will be able to work out who he is if he's just using a number and such a random number at that.' Fives explained, coming down to their level. 'You guys ready to go have some fun?'  
'Go, be safe and have a good time.' Suu laughed, not really that surprised by the excited voices coming from the cart.  
'Same goes for you Suu.' Fives replied, opening the door and lifting the cart over the barrier fence.

Stepping outside and keeping the cart close to his side, Fives turned to the guards standing outside his apartment, recognising their markings as belonging to the Coruscant Guard but he couldn't tell who they were. He wasn't that familiar with the red marked men under Fox's command.  
'Raptor and Tracer, you've been giving a big responsibility tonight. Nothing can happen to the young family in there, nothing at all. If you even suspect there might be a problem, you have the authority to access the apartment and check. Just so you know, she is an innocent civilian that volunteers her time to assist Lieutenant Fives with his daily responsibilities. I expect you to treat her with the same respect you give your senior officers.' Fox instructed, sticking his head out of the cart and looking up at the pair. 'Do I make myself clear?'  
'Sir, yes Sir.' they replied, fingers tightening on their weapons.  
'Good, I will inform Suu of your instructions so she is not alarmed about the situation if you do enter the apartment. I will also be giving her your comm frequencies so she can contact you if she feels there is a problem that needs one of you to assist.' Fives added, digging out his comm from the pocket of his trousers. 'Protect this innocent woman and her children. That is your only priority right now.'

True to his word, Fives contacted Suu as he walked away, passing on the specific frequencies they used and letting her know what they'd been told. She sounded relieved to know where she could reach her guards if it was needed and promised that if she felt even the slightest bit threatened she would call for one to assist. Fives also told her that she was to be afforded the greatest of respect by her guards and asked that she call him immediately if she felt uncomfortable with them. Suu promised that she would and stated her case that she was able to take care of things on her own. Fives didn't challenge her, he just reassured her that he would be available if she needed him and left it at that.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Entering the grand banquet hall in the heart of the Senate building, Fives was first taken aback by the glamorous surroundings and then felt intensely out of place among these people. The room was round, the walls carved to look like vines and trees were sheltering the gathering. Running around the walls, roughly waist high to Fives, there was a narrow wooden platform with a rail along the outside edge. Looking out across the room, he could see more of the platforms, leading out to the tables loaded with food and drinks for the guests. There were a few empty tables too, almost like places where the guests could gather and talk and all of them were linked to the walls by the dark wooden platforms.

Getting an idea about these platforms, Fives eased down to one knee and reached into the bag he'd attached to the front of the cart for all those little bits and pieces he needed to make life easier for his brothers. Pulling out two rope ladders, he attached them to the handrail and checked they were secure before dropping the ladders near the cart and tapping lightly on the side of the cart.  
'The ladders lead up to some kind of walkway around the room. Looks like it leads to most of the tables and allows you to circle the room.' he explained, nudging the cart closer to the ladders he'd set and waiting for his brothers.

Rex was first out of the cart, scaling the ladder and swinging over the railing. Straightening his uniform and looking around, he nodded and looked down, beckoning for the others to join him up on the walkway. Cody was next up the ladder, leaning in to whisper something to Rex before they wandered away together. That got everyone else going, scaling the ladders in pairs and starting to explore the party scene.

Making certain the cart was secure and out of the way, Fives made his way into the gathering, trying to look like he belonged there when he really would rather be anywhere but here. Everywhere he looked, he was confronted with expensive looking clothes, important people and thousands of different races. Some of the Senators he recognised from past missions and conversations with brothers assigned elsewhere. It was intimidating enough for him, he had no idea how his brothers were supposed to handle this chaos.

Finally he spotted a familiar face and pushed off the wall, coming into a perfect parade rest stance as Senator Amidala approached. She looked absolutely amazing in her pale purple dress, long skirt sweeping the floor. Her hair was done up in a highly ornate style, richly decorated with golden ornaments and jewels. Never in his life had Fives ever seen anyone so beautiful.  
'Lieutenant Fives, welcome. You look very handsome in uniform.' she smiled, waving off one of the serving droids as she approached him.  
'Thank you for your gracious invite, Senator Amidala.' Fives replied, stepping forward and accepting her raised hand. 'You look absolutely stunning today.'

Showing more grace and decorum than anyone expected from a clone, he bowed and pressed the softest kiss to her knuckles, releasing her hand as he straightened and returned to parade rest. Senator Amidala was surprised, she'd never expected Fives to show such etiquette and respect in what had to be a very uncomfortable situation for him.  
'Did your brothers decide not to come?' she asked, glancing down at the cart beside his feet. 'Or are they simply not ready to come out?'  
'They're already out and about, Senator.' Fives replied, moving away from the wall a little more and scanning the room slowly. 'Commander Fox is over there talking with Senator Chuchi and there's Commander Wolffe getting a drink.'  
'I did not think to have glassware made to suit them.' Padmé sighed, looking around slowly.  
'I wouldn't worry about that milady. They had a feeling something like that might happen so they all grabbed their mugs before we left.' Fives nodded, watching as Wolffe dipped his mug into the shallow bowl of punch on one of the table. 'I wouldn't worry too much, Senator. My brothers are getting used to figuring out their own ways of doing things.'  
'How about a drink, Lieutenant? You have been working so hard to care for your brothers, you deserve a chance to relax as well.' Padmé offered, waving one of the serving droids over to them.  
'Well, alright. I really shouldn't, I'm still technically on duty but I doubt anyone will argue.' Fives grinned, allowing her to take the first glass before accepting one of the delicate glasses and raising it in a toast to her. The wine on offer was fruity and just slightly fizzy, a faint tart note lingering after he swallowed.  
'You don't often get to enjoy the finer things in life, do you?' she asked, smiling softly at him.  
'Comes with the duty, unfortunately. Sometimes we get a little something from the people we help, a way for them to say thank you but for the most, we live on simple rations and little comforts.' Fives nodded, switching his glass to his left hand and offering Padmé his right arm. 'Shall we?'  
'I would be delighted.' Padmé nodded, placing her hand on his arm lightly. 'I do not wish to insult you but might I ask where you learned such impeccable manners.'  
'Holofilms mostly, milady. I have a personal and secret weakness for romance films in particular.' Fives admitted, head held high as he escorted Senator Amidala into the main part of the gathering.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Hugging the wall and trying to keep track of the constantly moving crowd, Gregor was right on the edge of completely freaking out. He'd expected to have to deal with a crowd but there had to be hundreds of people moving around in all their finery.  
'Hey, you okay Gregor?' Ponds asked, coming up beside him and offering him a comforting grin.  
'Uh, yeah. Just a little overwhelmed.' Gregor nodded, relaxing a little more now that he had some friendly company. 'I expected a crowd but this is a little scary for me, you know.'  
'Relax vod, I've got your back. Whatever happens, I'll be right here for you.' Ponds soothed, resting one hand on Gregor's shoulder. 'It'll be okay, I'll keep you safe. Come on, let's go grab a drink.'

Nodding slowly, Gregor let Ponds peel him off the wall and lead him further along the walkway. True to his word, Ponds never strayed more than a step from his shoulder, constantly alert for any threats or people that might make him uncomfortable.  
'That's it vod, just relax and try to enjoy this. I've been to a few of these things before but normally I'm the guy behind the bucket, standing near the doorway.' Ponds shrugged, pointing over towards the entrance where two clones in full armour stood to attention outside the room.  
'Does anyone offer you anything to eat or drink while you're out there?' Gregor asked, turning his attention back to Ponds.  
'Why would they? We're just clones to them, no one really cares if we're comfortable while pulling long shifts on guard duty somewhere. Those two will be relieved in six hours, only once they're back in the barracks can they grab something to eat, have a drink and go to the 'fresher.' Ponds sighed, shaking his head slowly as they stepped onto the table.  
'That hardly seems fair.' Gregor remarked, pulling his mug out of the small pocket sewn inside his cloak.  
'You've been away from the ranks too long, vod. Life ain't fair for us, get used to it.' Ponds replied, approaching the shallow punch bowl and dipping his mug in.

Scooping up a drink of his own, Gregor turned his gaze back to the armoured forms he could see, troubled by what he'd been told and wondering if maybe something could be done for them. It hardly seemed fair that he was in here living it up with Senators, wearing finely tailored clothes made from luxurious cloth and drinking expensive alcohols while they were out there, probably foot sore and thirsty, trying to ignore ever growing needs to get something to eat and relieve themselves.  
'Don't be getting and crazy ideas Gregor. You can't change anything, life will continue for the Coruscant Guard just as it always has and will for the rest of our lives.' Ponds warned, elbowing him sharply. 'Leave it be, there's nothing you can do.'  
'Maybe I can, Ponds. I might only be a Captain and I've spent a long time away from the family but if there's one thing I learned while I was out on my own, it's that sometimes it only takes one lone voice against a sea of disagreement to make things change.' Gregor replied, sipping from his mug and thinking about the situation.  
'This is a bad idea, Gregor. Say the wrong thing and you'll be on a transport to Kamino before you can even blink.' Ponds warned, looking around for the Kaminoan Senator he knew would be here.

Relaxing a little bit more, Gregor watched the crowd from a different angle, his mind kicking into high gear as he sorted out threats from allies among all these people. Over the last six weeks, ever since he'd fallen and smacked his head in the shower, he'd found all of this tactical thinking was much easier, giving him an edge on hiding what he still couldn't remember.  
'That one, what's her name?' Gregor asked, drawing Ponds' gaze towards one of the Senators.  
'That's Senator Chuchi of Pantora. All reports indicate that she's a friend of the clones but she's not one that's likely to start a push for clone rights.' Ponds briefed, his scepticism of Gregor's plan clear in his voice. 'I still say this is a bad idea.'  
'We'll see.' Gregor replied, waving off Ponds' concerns and keeping his gaze on Senator Chuchi.

It took a few minutes of watching her but she eventually turned and spotted Gregor, a beautiful smile gracing her soft blue features as she moved through the gathering to offer her hand to him. Returning her smile, Gregor approached and bowed respectfully and turned to sit on her hand, having noticed some of his brothers were doing the same thing all around the room.

Shifting a little on her hand as he was lifted to a better height for her to chat comfortably, Gregor cradled his mug in both hands and looked up at her beautiful face, taking in her bright yellow tattoos and admiring how they looked against her soft skin. Relaxing a little more as they made small talk, Gregor got to know this kindly Senator from Pantora and allowed her a glimpse of his own struggles to gain her trust.

Feeling like he'd gained her trust enough to try this, Gregor drew her attention to the guards standing outside the room and told her exactly what Ponds had told him regarding their duty shifts and allowances while they were standing guard out there. Seemingly shocked by what she was hearing, she sent one of the serving droids out there with food and water for the guards. As an added assurance that his brothers would accept this offer, Gregor went out with the droid, explaining the situation and encouraging his brothers to take what was so freely given.

Leaning their rifles against the wall and yanking off their helmets, the pair refused to leave their places by the door but they did gratefully accept the offered refreshments, their gratitude so clear in their eyes. Surprisingly, the droid stated that it would include the pair in its cycles of the room, making sure they were not forgotten now that it had been told to make sure they were treated fairly. That had left the guards shocked and they'd thanked Gregor for remembering them even though they had no idea who he was.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Wandering around the gathering with Dogma, Tup was actually starting to enjoy this idea of a formal party. Sure, it was uptight and he couldn't really have fun but it was nice to be treated as something more than an expendable soldier. Sampling fine foods and alcohol, things neither had ever tasted before, they could almost forget that they were just two faces in a crowd of millions.

Finding them a quiet place to be alone, sheltered behind a large leafy plant in the back of the room, Dogma leant back against the wall comfortably and drew Tup into his arms, relishing a moment together. It was nice to have a chance to relax and be alone, far from the prying eyes of their brothers, some of whom disagreed with their relationship.

Their private time was rudely interrupted after just a few minutes but it wasn't one of their brothers lurking around. No, they picked up the hushed words of a secretive conversation. Normally they would have just walked away but when they heard mention of mini clones, they froze, waiting to hear what might be said.  
'The miniaturisation project is working just as you had hoped, Duchess.' the male Senator offered, dipping his head to the holocomm he was holding.  
"So it is sweeping rampant through the clones?" a woman asked, her face hidden behind the speaker on this end. "This is not what I have heard from other sources."  
'Senators Amidala and Organa invited their sponsored afflicted clones to the gala today. I count 35 affected and have seen just three unaffected.'  
"Not good enough. I am hearing reports from other sources that entire companies, thousands of clones, are unaffected and going about their warmongering as they always have. I had hoped that all of the clones currently in service would be helpless by now."  
'I will continue my investigations, Duchess.'  
"If this project fails, we will have to try something else to end this war. As leader of the Council of Neutral Systems, I cannot allow this war to interfere with the planets and systems I represent."  
'I will continue my investigations and inform you of my findings Duchess.'

Jaws dropping when they got a look at whoever this Senator was talking to, Dogma and Tup knew they had to do something about what they'd just overheard. But they also knew if they suddenly emerged from behind the plant, they'd be caught out for certain and who knew what that could mean for them.  
'One moment Duchess, I believe someone is snooping around.'  
'We've been made.' Dogma hissed, grabbing Tup's wrist and racing out from behind the plant.  
'Oh no you don't!' the Senator snapped, stepping around the plant and wrapping one hand around Tup's tiny body. 'You'll be perfect evidence for the Duchess.'  
'Let go of him!' Dogma snapped, refusing to let go of Tup's arm. 'Someone help!'  
'Shut up clone! No one here will help you.' the Senator snapped, pulling Tup closer and batting Dogma away with the holocomm.

Suddenly Fives was there, flipping Dogma back onto the walkway where he would be safer and shoving the Senator up against the wall, right hand pressed to his throat. Eyes flashing fire, he retrieved Tup from the cruel hand of this man and cradled him close, whispering soothing words to settle him down again.  
'What is the meaning of this, Lieutenant?' Senator Organa demanded, coming up beside Fives. 'Release this man at once.'  
'Not until he explains exactly why he dared threaten my brothers. I saw him snatch Tup off the walkway there and nearly send Dogma plummeting to his death.' Fives replied, glancing over to where Dogma was clinging to the railings, desperately trying to get eyes on Tup. 'He's okay, Dogma. A little shaken up but he's okay.'  
'Please Fives.' Tup uttered, shaking with fright under Fives' hand. 'Please.'  
'Whatever you need Tup.' Fives nodded, not letting go of the Senator he was holding as he turned and set Tup on the walkway safely.

Stumbling into Dogma's arms, Tup sunk to the ornate timber, shoulders heaving as he tried to come to terms with what had just happened. Dogma went down with him, rocking slowly as he worked to comfort Tup after a nasty scare.  
'We heard that Senator talking to Duchess Satine on the comm. They were discussing the mini clones and how the effects weren't spreading as she had hoped. We knew we had to tell someone and were heading to find Fives when he saw us and grabbed Tup.' Dogma explained, keeping Tup held firmly to his chest as he spoke. 'We both heard the Duchess say that if this project fails, we will have to try something else to end this war.'  
'Is this true?' Organa asked, turning his attention back to the pinned man.  
'Senator Organa, when have you ever known a clone to speak falsely? The very success of our missions depends on accurate and truthful reporting, it's not in our minds to tell stories about what we heard or saw. If my brothers say they heard this Senator and Duchess Satine speaking about being the cause of the miniaturisation, this is what was being discussed so secretively back here.' Fives shrugged, glancing over at his brothers on the walkway.

Following Fives' gaze, Senator Organa couldn't quite believe what he was witnessing. Racing along the walkways, the rest of the mini clones under Fives' care were all approaching the scene, the four others wearing blue leading the charge. The majority of the group hung back a little, forming a barrier around the pair kneeling on the walkway, standing shoulder to shoulder and daring anyone to try and put a hand on them again.

Behind this barrier of brothers, the rest of the 501st mini clones gathered around the shaken pair, flicking out their cloaks and forming a protective bubble over their shaken brothers. No one was going to put their hands on those two again without the blessing of all the mini clones.  
'I'm leaving the choice in your hands, Senator. I was assured that my brothers would be safe at this event, you gave me your word that no one here would try and harm them.' Fives offered, drawing Bail's attention away from the mini clones.  
'I can understand your concern, Lieutenant.' Organa nodded, turning to the door and motioning for one of the guards. 'I do hope you will not allow this one bad incident to ruin your day.'  
'Well that all depends on Tup. If he wants to go back to the apartment, I won't make him stay here where he's not safe.' Fives shrugged, handing the pinned Senator off to the Guardsman. 'Watch him, he's anti-clone. Tried to snatch one of our vod'ika.'  
'I'll make sure he doesn't get away.' the Guardsman nodded, securing the troublesome Senator and locking one hand over his shoulder. 'What are your orders, Senator Organa?'  
'For now, keep him in house arrest in the Senate tower.'  
'As ordered, Sir.'

Stepping around behind Senator Organa, Fives approached the railing where his brothers were standing, smiling softly as they moved aside to open up space for him to reach in and rest one hand on the 501st pile right in the middle.  
'Tup, I know you're feeling vulnerable right now but I need to talk to you.' Fives coaxed, not even sure where he was in the pile. 'Come on vod, its okay now.'  
'You won't get much out of him right now, Fives. He's practically shut down.' Rex warned, head popping out from behind two of the draped cloaks.  
'See if you can get him to indicate if he'd be more comfortable leaving or if he's okay to stay at the gala for a bit longer.' Fives sighed, fully aware that he wouldn't be able to get near Tup until he calmed down.  
'I'll see what I can do. He's settling a little with this nesting idea but who knows if it'll work.' Rex nodded, ducking back under the cloaks and all was still again.  
'Alright guys, give him some space.' Fives guided, looking around at the rest of the group. 'I'm not saying go away, just back up a little more.'

It took a few minutes but the barriers moved back a little more, all eyes on the blue pile as they waited to see what Tup would say, if he even reacted to the offer. Eventually one of the cloaks slipped a little and Rex lifted his head, looking around at the barrier forces before turning his attention back to Fives.  
'Tup's made his call Fives. He'll stay for now but not out in sight. Dogma's staying with him, nothing is going to get him to let go anytime soon. Best bet is the cart, they'll be safe inside and we'll take turns keeping watch for any dangers.' Rex briefed, glancing under the cloaks again and shifting on his knees. 'Deal?'  
'It's a deal.' Fives nodded, a tear in his eye as the pile broke open to reveal Tup huddled in against Dogma's chest, shoulders heaving with every breath. 'It's your call Dogma. You know him best.'

Whispering soft words into Tup's hair, Dogma coaxed him to his feet and over to Fives slowly. Tup was normally a brave young clone but this mess had proved just how vulnerable they really were and had shaken him to the core.  
'No pressure Tup, I'm here if you need me, for anything.' Fives uttered, cupping his hands loosely and waiting for Tup to make his choice. 'You know I'd give my life for you Tup. You're my brother, I will always protect you.'  
'I know.' Tup uttered, still clutching desperately to Dogma as he lifted his gaze slowly. 'Never let me go, ori'vod.'  
'You can count on that vod'ika.' Fives nodded, catching Tup when he stumbled as he tried to walk closer. 'I will always be right here for you.'

Gently sweeping the pair off the walkway, Fives cradled them to his chest and made his way back through the gathering of dignitaries. He didn't care that he had to shoulder a couple of them out of the way, he only cared about protecting his brothers. Proper etiquette and manners could wait, he had a responsibility to care for his brothers.  
'Here we go. Shhh, you'll be safe in here.' Fives uttered, taking a knee beside the cart and unlatching the cover.  
'No, not safe there.' Tup uttered, fingers digging into Fives' hand. 'Safe with you.'  
'Always Tup, you're always safe by my side.' Fives smiled, switching them both into his right hand and opening his cloak. 'You'll be perfectly safe right here Tup.'  
'We'll keep you safe, Tup. Its okay, no one can hurt you now.' Dogma agreed, sliding into the pocket and wrapping Tup in his arms. 'Well, at least we have some of an idea about who caused all this pain and suffering.'  
'And that's more than we've had since this happened. I will make sure the Generals are informed of this.' Fives nodded, settling his cloak back into place.  
'Fives, is everything all right?' Senator Amidala asked, making her way over to them.  
'Not really, milady. Tup received a terrible fright from that Senator that was just escorted out. We might at last have some clues about what caused this affliction but so far, no proof of it.' Fives sighed, turning to her and keeping a protective arm around his brothers.  
'Will you be staying for a bit longer or would you prefer to leave?' she asked, resting one hand on his arm lightly.  
'My brothers wish to stay, there is a chance we could learn more.' Fives replied, turning his gaze to the room and checking for all his brothers. 'They know what to do, Senator. It is simply a matter of trusting them.'  
'I am surprised they felt safe enough to stay considering what I heard from Senator Organa.' she mused, accepting a drink from one of the serving droids.  
'We're clones, Ma'am, we don't back down from a confrontation. If there are mutterings of the cause of the miniaturisation here, my brothers will find them.' Fives shrugged, checking his chrono quickly before reaching for another drink. 'By sticking to a strict timing, I can get away with a few drinks without compromising my abilities.'

Hurrying along the walkway on the wall, Rex caught Fives' attention and jumped up into his offered hand, clutching at his thumb for stability. Setting Rex on his shoulder and tipping his glass enough for his brother to refill his mug, Fives smiled softly and tried to relax, free hand going back to protecting Tup and Dogma in his pocket.  
'Did anyone get a recording of the conversation? Without that, we can't prove Duchess Satine had anything to do with this.' Rex asked, sipping his drink and scanning the crowds.  
'The security feeds might have something but apart from that, it's highly unlikely anyone actually recorded the conversation.' Senator Amidala replied, offering Rex a nibble of the canapé she'd taken from a passing tray.  
'Perhaps there is another way to get Duchess Satine to admit to her involvement in this mess. Make her feel like she has someone else onside and see if they can get her to admit it.' Fives suggested, constantly checking where his brothers were in the room.  
'I must protest to that, Lieutenant. It would be wrong to ask anyone to try and entrap Duchess Satine in such a position.' Senator Amidala cut in, shocked that he would even consider such a thing. 'Wait and check the security feeds, they might yet prove useful.'

~!~#~O~#~!~

Returning to their apartment at the end of the gala, Fives yawned and dismissed the guards for the night, handing them each a neat bundle of special treats from the event and heading inside. Parking the cart where it belonged, he smiled at the sweet sight of Suu and her children fast asleep on the couches. Padding across the room quietly, he placed one hand on Suu's shoulder and gently roused her from her from her slumber.  
'Oh, you're back.' she uttered, glancing over to her children.  
'I'm just about to put the guys to bed and call it a night.' Fives nodded, moving back and letting her sit up. 'Figured you wouldn't want to spend all night on the couch.'  
'Thank you. I'll go put Shaeeah and Jek to bed and then come collect Cut.' Suu replied, easing to her feet and padding away towards her bedroom.

Opening the cover on the cart, Fives looked down at his peacefully sleeping brothers all in a pile and smiled again, reluctant to wake them but he knew they would sleep better in their own beds. Taking the cart through to the bedroom, he turned the overhead light down low and parked the cart beside their bunks. Leaving his brothers to wake up in their own time, Fives changed out of his formal gear and hung it all up neatly before changing into his sleep shorts.  
'What's goin' on?' Gree uttered, appearing at the side of the cart. 'Oh, we're home.'  
'Go on, get changed and head for bed. It's been a big night.' Fives replied, kneeling beside the cart and lifting Gree out.

Trying his hardest to be super gentle even though he was so tired, Fives carefully roused his brothers and lifted them out of the cart, setting them safely on the shelf behind the cart. Stumbling a little, his brothers made their way to their bunks and changed into their pyjamas, offering sleepy goodnights as they settled. It only took a few minutes for all of them to be snoring away peacefully, blankets pulled up to their chins.  
'Good night, my brothers. Tomorrow is another day.' Fives uttered, putting the cart out of the way and shutting off the lights. 'Hopefully we can learn something more.'

Poking her head in now that her children were tucked up safely in their beds, Suu smiled softly at the vision lit by the constantly changing colours outside the window. Fives was passed out on his chest, blankets half over his back as he finally unwound from the stressful day. Padding over quietly, Suu pulled the blankets up over his broad back and tucked him in quickly, her touch light enough to not disturb his slumber.

Creeping back out of the room, Suu jumped when she heard a sudden scream from one of the bunks along the wall. Turning back, she could hardly believe that Fives was already out of bed and kneeling beside the bunks.  
'Shhh, it's okay Tup. I've got you, you're safe now vod'ika. You're safe here, no one can hurt you now. Shhh, I'm here and I'll never leave you.' Fives soothed, cradling Tup to his chest and gently rubbing his back.  
'Don't let go.' Tup whimpered, fingers digging into Fives' skin. 'Don't let me go, ori'vod.'  
'Never Tup, I will always be right here for you. I'll always be here to protect you, it's okay.' Fives promised, reaching down to scoop Dogma up and bring him to his chest.  
'You'll never be alone Tup, we'll always be here with you.' Dogma added, wrapping his arms around Tup and holding him close. 'Dry your eyes, cyar'ika. You're safe here.'  
'Don't wanna be alone.' Tup whimpered, burrowing as close as he could to both men.  
'You'll never be alone.' Fives replied, getting up and heading back to his bed. 'Just give me a second and I'll collect Cut for you, Suu.'  
'No, it's alright Fives. Let him sleep, he's obviously exhausted. Goodnight.' Suu replied, leaving the room quickly.

Climbing back into bed, Fives snuggled back down on his left side and braced his position so he didn't accidentally roll and squash his brothers. Snuggling in close, Tup and Dogma curled up together and settled, close enough to feel the warmth from Fives but not snuggled right up against him. Right arm curled over to protect them, Fives let his mind drift and started to doze off.  
'Safe now.' Tup mumbled, reaching out to brush Fives' chest. 'Can heart your heart.'  
'Shh, sleep now vod'ika.' Fives whispered, using his right thumb to lightly touch his shaken brothers. 'I'll guard you always.'  
'Love you, ori'vod.' Tup replied, shifting for a moment before going still.  
'Love you too, vod'ika.' Fives breathed, finally giving in to the call of sleep.


	10. Digging Deeper

Sitting on the floor of the 'fresher, Fives kept thinking about the implications of what had been revealed at the gala two weeks previous. All his efforts to uncover more of this plot against his brothers had led to more questions and no clear answers. It was frustrating but Fives had never expected this search to be easy. For now he'd made the choice to put it aside and focus on his afflicted brothers, they needed him right now.

Leaning on the edge of the bathing tub that had so far gone unused, Fives watched his brothers enjoy the warm water together, the tub more than big enough for them all to enjoy their own space and activities. Some of the guys were swimming laps up one end, stretching out and enjoying the chance to be doing something different. A few were enjoying a leisurely soak, relaxing against some random duraplast objects Fives had found for them to use in the tub. Most of the guys though, well they'd decided to get into the biggest water fight they could.

Chuckling softly at the antics of his brothers, Fives joined in with their games, flicking water at them with a gentle hand and cherishing their laughter as they tried to avoid his attacks. The water was only chest deep on them so it wasn't hard for them to move about and create a lot of fun with just what they had.  
'I had an idea about how we could get proof about Duchess Satine's involvement in our shrinking.' Draa grinned, climbing up onto Cooker's shoulders. 'C'mon Buzz, I'll take you.'  
'Oh it's on now, vod.' Buzz replied, swinging up onto Reaper's shoulders and getting settled.  
'What's this grand idea of yours, Draa?' Fives asked, shifting against the side of the tub and catching Gregor when he slipped. 'You okay, Gregor?'  
'Yeah, I'm okay.' Gregor nodded, clinging to Fives' fingers. 'Wasn't expecting the floor to be that slippery over here.'  
'Why don't we try to sneak into her staterooms and office? We could hide recording devices in all the places she might meet with her fellow conspirators to discuss whatever they did to cause this shrinkage.' Draa explained, grabbing Buzz by the arms and starting to push against his brother.  
'There's a chance she won't discuss those things where they could potentially be overheard.' Fives replied, guiding Gregor away from the slippery patch and letting him go slowly. 'But I don't see why we shouldn't try it. I haven't had much luck through official channels.'  
'Do we know if she's on Coruscant at the moment?' Cut asked, resting against one of the pool toys and looking up at Fives. 'This isn't going to work if she's not here.'  
'According to the Guard, her ship is due to arrive tomorrow. They couldn't say how long she would be around but at least it's something.' Fives nodded, glancing over to where Tup and dogma were floating peacefully on another pool toy. 'We'd just need to get the recordings and figure out where to place them so she can't find them. They would also need to be positioned to record everything, not just the audio.'  
'Talk to the Guard, they've got the schematics for all the Senate buildings. Might not be the exact room but they'll get us close.' Fox suggested, treading water down among the other serious swimmers. 'And they'll likely be able to provide us with some micro-recorders to use.'  
'I thought you didn't agree with using underhanded methods to get answers.' Wolffe remarked, drifting with his pack peacefully.  
'I'm not a fan of it but desperate times and all that.' Fox shrugged, gaze sweeping the pool. 'We can't stay like this and she has all the answers.'

~!~#~O~#~!~

Dressed in black to help hide their presence, Cody and Wolffe scampered through the ventilation system towards their target. Fives had gotten them as close as he could to the Duchess' staterooms but the rest of it was on their tiny shoulders. The micro-recorders the Guard had provided weren't quite small enough for one man to carry it and still be able to get through the vents and reach a suitable location to plant the device. Fox had given them the solution, pointing out how to break the recording devices into two smaller pieces.

Clinging to the little imperfections on the durasteel that made up the ducting through the building, Wolffe and Cody reached the top of the duct they needed and grabbed the bars that covered the fan and stopped anything big damaging the blades in front of them. Right now the fan was still, opening up their access into the staterooms beyond.

Climbing through the bars and crouching on the inner frame between the fan blades, Cody unslung the length of rope they'd made for this incursion as Wolffe peered out through the front slats to see what they had available as a landing zone.  
'We're in luck. There's a framed picture just below us and then a couch.' Wolffe nodded, ducking back out of sight.  
'Anywhere we can put this recorder?' Cody asked, tying off their first rope to the front panel of the vent case.  
'Yeah, there's a table just near the couch. It's got all sorts of things on it, we should be able to hide the device there with ease.' Wolffe replied, slipping off the second rope coil as he wriggled back through the slats. 'It's still dark in there but we can't waste any time.'  
'Alright, let's do this.' Cody grinned, throwing the rope out through the slats and squeezing through after it.

Sliding down the braided cotton rope, Cody landed lightly on the picture frame and moved back for Wolffe to slip down and land beside him. Padding along the frame, Wolffe climbed down the ornate edge and tied the second rope to a curving piece of the decoration. Checking it was securely tied, he rappelled down to the couch and waited for Cody to join him.

Darting along the back of the couch, the two little clones slid down to land safely on the arm and jumped across to the side table, landing among the ornaments and other things on the table. Picking their way through the ornaments on the table, they found a dark niche in one of the weird sculptures and knelt, unhooking the recorder pieces from their backs.

Putting the micro-recorder back together, the pair stood and hoisted it into position, tucking it out of sight and making sure it was angled to cover most of the room. They froze when the overhead lights came on, swapping anxious looks as they listened to the footsteps entering the staterooms. Giving the micro-recorder one last push to make certain it was secure, the two little clones ran back across the table and jumped onto the couch, scrambling for handholds to get back up onto the back and run for their rope.

Sprinting hard, Wolffe jumped and grabbed the first rope, climbing up as fast as he could. He felt Cody jump on beneath him and winced as the frame scraped against the wall, shifting slightly under even their minimal weight. Finding new strength when the conversations stopped, Wolffe scrambled up the frame and reached down for Cody, pulling him up behind him. Hurrying along the frame, listening to it scrape against the wall again, Wolffe grabbed the second rope and started up again, ignoring the aches developing in his muscles.

Latching onto the second rope, Cody started up after Wolffe, heart pounding as they tried to make their escape undetected. They'd had to leave the rope hanging on the frame, Cody had only had time to throw it behind the frame before Wolffe pulled him out of reach. Looking up again, Cody smiled as Wolffe slipped through the vent and turned back to reach for him, both hands stretched right out to Cody.  
'You are dismissed.' Satine's voice, cold and angry behind Cody.  
'Yes, Duchess.'  
'Quick, you're almost there Cody.' Wolffe hissed, gripping the slats with one hand and reaching out for Cody as footsteps came closer.

Looking over his shoulder at the sharp gasp, Cody swallowed at the sight of the Duchess staring at him in wide-eyed shock. Digging deep for strength, Cody powered up the rope and reached for Wolffe's hand, straining to reach the safety of the vent. He almost had it before Wolffe yelped and disappeared back into the vent as a crushing hand wrapped around Cody's body and pulled sharply. Releasing the rope, Cody struggled against the fingers crushing him, kicking and shoving ineffectively at the feminine hand wrapped around him.  
'Just what are you doing in here?' Satine demanded, bringing him level with her face.  
'CC-2224, Cody, Commander, 212th Attack Battalion.' Cody replied, his resistance training coming into effect. He'd been trained to resist interrogation, but nothing could train him for this.  
'I asked you a question, clone.' Satine growled, her patience thin and anger in her eyes.  
'CC-2224, Cody, Commander, 212th Attack Battalion.'

~!~#~O~#~!~

Thankful for the cleaning droid he'd managed to flag down, Wolffe guided it back to his apartment and tried to relax as the droid pressed the doorbell. Still panting hard after his hasty exit from the vents and run to get help, Wolffe dreaded Fives' reaction to Cody's capture. That wasn't part of the plan, they were supposed to get in and out again undetected. Now that Satine knew about their presence and had seen them in her staterooms, she would be so much more cautious about discussing what she was up to.

Finally the door slid open and Wolffe launched from the droid's hand, tiny fingers latching onto Fives' shirt and locking in tight.  
'Wolffe? What's going on? Where's Cody?' Fives asked, hands coming up to encase his brother safely. 'Thank you for bringing him home.'  
'It was my pleasure.' the cleaner droid replied, turning and toddling away again.  
'We got the recorder into place but as we were making our escape, Satine arrived. I got into the vent but she grabbed Cody before he reached safety.' Wolffe explained, trembling against Fives' chest as he tried to calm down. 'I tried Fives, I was there for him but we missed.'  
'It's okay Wolffe, its okay. We'll get Cody back, but right now we have other plans to deal with. Don't worry, I have Cody on my HUD, I won't lose him.' Fives soothed, rubbing Wolffe's back as he closed the door and headed back over to the rest of his brothers.

Sinking down on the couch, Fives didn't even try to get Wolffe to let go of his shirt, he just held his shaken brother securely in one hand and stroked his back lightly. There was no point in getting angry about Cody's capture either, they would free him soon enough.  
'Where's Cody?' Rex asked, climbing up onto Fives' lap. 'What happened out there?'  
'He was captured. We'll get him back Rex, I promise you.' Fives replied, glancing down at Wolffe for a moment. 'From what Wolffe reported, it was a near thing that he escaped.'  
'I'm sorry Rex, I know Cody is important to you.' Wolffe uttered, relaxing a little and looking down at Rex. 'We can't leave Cody in her clutches. We have to get him back.'  
'We will, Wolffe. But at the same time, we're going to make the Duchess rue the day she messed with the clones.' Fives grinned, watching the rest of the gang as they worked. 'Your pack can fill you in on the plans.'  
'Trust us Wolffe, you'll really enjoy this.' Boost added, looking up from where he was working.

Nodding slowly, Wolffe released his grip on Fives' shirt and tried to relax as Fives reached out to put him safely on the table with his brothers. Peeing off his filthy black shirt, Wolffe left it on the corner of the table and joined his pack-brothers, watching as they built something out of lightweight materials. Figuring out what they were building, Wolffe moved in to help with the construction of the oddly shaped creation.  
'the idea is that this will blend in against the walls around Satine's office and still have enough space for food and water inside. From this little unit, we can sneak around and scare her wherever she goes.' Sinker explained, continuing to build up the little hiding place.  
'And how are we supposed to get these into place?' Wolffe asked, helping Sinker drape another layer of wet flimsi around the construction.  
'One of the Guards has a reprogrammable little cleaning droid we can use. He's working on it as we speak.' Fives replied, plucking up Wolffe's dirty shirt. 'I'm heading that way anyway.'  
'Thanks Fives.' Wolffe nodded, continuing to help with the messy work as Fives walked away.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Refusing to be cowed by the heavy handed tactics used against him, Cody settled into his new cage and rolled over, head resting on his arm as he feigned sleep. He refused to be some new plaything for the Duchess to show off to her friends. All he had to do was bide his time and wait, his brothers would surely come for him. And when the Duchess finally retired for the night, Cody would start to look for his own way out of this damned cage.

She'd tried hard to get Cody to talk, offering comforts with one breath and stating risks with the next. She never openly threatened him, but she did wonder aloud what might happen if the floor of the cage suddenly gave way and Cody dropped to the floor below. Cody held strong through it all, countering her every statement with his standard response of number, name, rank and company. She would get nothing from him, he was better than she knew.

Forcing his tiny body to stay relaxed at the sound of other voices in the room, Cody listened to the low conversation and hoped to hear something that would prove useful to him.  
'It appears that the miniaturisation process is going better than expected. I expected smaller clones but not to the stage I have seen.' Satine stated, likely trying to impress whoever had come calling.  
'Yes, I noticed that at the gala. But I did not have a chance to examine them closely before their overprotective guardian slammed me against the wall.' a male voice replied and Cody had to swallow a growl. 'I feared our plans were ruined when I was arrested.'  
'I have one here in a cage if you would like a closer look now.' Satine offered, their footsteps coming closer to Cody's position.  
'Time for a little clone payback.' Cody uttered, rolling over and continuing with his ruse.

Waiting patiently and listening to the conversation, Cody let the two come right up to his cage and rolled over onto his back again, starting to snore to really sell his harmlessness to the watching pair. He heard them easing closer and made a show of stirring from his sleep, squirming and stretching on the hard floor of his cage. Back arching, he yawned and enjoyed a brief scratch, fighting to keep the smirk off his face as Satine gasped at his uncouth behaviour. Another stretch and he rubbed his eyes, rolling onto his side and sitting up slowly.

Getting to his feet and enjoying another joint cracking stretch, Cody scratched at his manhood again and padded across the cage floor, well aware of where his captors were standing in relation to him. They were about to get quite a shock.  
'Remarkable, truly remarkable. I had no idea how close to human these creations could be.' the male remarked, peering closer at Cody.  
'I'll show you just how human we are.' Cody snarled, removing himself from his pants and releasing a stream of urine right into the man's eye.  
'You disgusting little beast.' the man spat, rearing back and batting at the cage.  
'We are not beasts! We are men!' Cody replied, keeping his feet as the cage swayed dangerously.  
'So now you speak.' Satine added, horrified by what had just happened.  
'And I've got a message for you, Satine.' Cody nodded, making his way across the moving floor to confront her. 'This means war!'  
'How dare you…' Satine started but Cody was right there in her face.  
'You interfered with the GAR! You took me prisoner! Rest assured, my brothers will come for me and when they do, you will forever regret the day you made an enemy of the GAR!' Cody snapped, gripping the bars and glaring out at Satine. 'This will not end well for you, Satine.'

~!~#~O~#~!~

Racing through the system that the little cleaning droids used to get in and out of the various senatorial apartments and staterooms throughout the tower, Stone and Ponds huddled inside one very special droid. This particular little cleaning droid had reprogrammed by the Guard to provide inside views of any room as required, just in case they needed eyes inside for a hostage situation. Now the mini clones had a perfect way to sneak from their apartment to Satine's staterooms without anyone any the wiser to their movements.

Crouched inside the droid, armed with some of their new weaponry for this new battleground, the two little clones also carried food and water for Cody. He had been in Satine's clutches for almost 24 hours now, no doubt he was desperate for a resupply. The two guardsmen had a plan but they were still going in blind, they had no idea where Cody was in the room but Fives said he was still in there and that was good enough.

Bursting from the service tunnel, the little droid darted over to the nearest table and stopped underneath, giving the clones a chance to look around without it becoming obvious that they had infiltrated the room.  
'There's Cody.' Stone hissed, pointing to the cage hanging not too far from the ornate desk.  
'Where's Satine?' Ponds asked, glancing up at their brother before going back to searching for their primary target.  
'We could ask Cody, he's got the high ground.' Stone shrugged, taking command of their transport droid and heading over to Cody's position.

Pulling up at the base of the cage support, Stone helped Ponds shoulder into the light pack they had between them and handed him the climbing apparatus they'd come up with. Climbing out of the droid, Ponds flicked the upper strap around the ornate pole and tightened it up before starting up the pole. It was slow progress, feet digging into the ridges around the pole as he flicked the strap up higher and higher.

Keeping watch for any sign of Satine, Stone also exited their transport droid and climbed up onto Satine's desk, using the decorations up the leg to reach the top rather quickly. Taking a knee on the corner of the desk, Stone scanned the room slowly along the length of his new weapon, waiting for any sign of Satine. He really wanted to try out these new, low tech weapons and see how they went against her.

Covered in sweat as he finally reached the top of the pole, Ponds turned to reach for the cage without letting go of his support rope and smiled as Cody half squeezed out through the bars and reached out to grab him.  
'What took you guys so long?' Cody asked, taking Ponds' weight and hauling him towards the cage.  
'We had to wait for our transport to be reprogrammed.' Ponds replied, slipping the pack off and handing it through the bars. 'Here, food and water.'  
'So this isn't a breakout?' Cody asked, accepting the pack and setting it out of the way.  
'Well, it could be if you really want out.' Ponds sighed, squirming through the bars and looking around the room. 'It's your call.'  
'She'll get really suspicious if the cage is empty but I need to get home and take care of some personal matters.' Cody nodded, leaning back against the bars lightly. 'As you can see, conditions are pathetic here.'  
'Here, you slide down and get out of here. I'll stay here in your place.' Ponds grinned, working out of his climbing harness and handing it to Cody. 'I know I can trust you to organise a roster of sorts so no one has to spend too long in this kriffing cage.'  
'Count on it, Ponds.' Cody replied, shouldering into the harness and pulling it tight. 'Don't expect much from Satine and her allies, they view us as less than human. I stuck it to one of her allies, pissed in his eye when they came too close.'  
'I'll keep that in mind, Cody.' Ponds chuckled, making sure the harness was secure. 'Let me guess, you gave them the standard interrogation response.'  
'Would you expect anything less?' Cody laughed, squeezing through the cage bars and jumping across to the decorative ledge where Ponds had secured the strap. 'Give her haran, vod.'  
'With pleasure.' Ponds smirked, hiding his supply pack under the scrunched up flimsi on the floor.

Sliding down the post, Cody tightened up the strap at the last moment and landed safely, rolling up the strap and darting over to the waiting droid. Climbing down from the desk, Stone clapped Cody on the shoulder and vaulted back into the droid with a grin.  
'Glad to have you back, vod.' Stone nodded, looking up at the cage. 'You going to be okay, Ponds?'  
'Lek, vod.' Ponds replied, sticking his head out between the bars. 'Now get out of here before she comes back and spots you.'  
'Copy that vod.' Stone grinned, taking the controls and racing back towards their escape route. 'I'd suggest you hold on tight Cody. This little droid can really move.'  
'Just take me home. It's been a rough 24.' Cody sighed, sinking down to sit and relax as the droid shot into the narrow tunnels.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Torn for a second as the transport droid skidded into sight just as the door chime went, Fives smiled softly as Rex and Fox ran to the transport droid, leaving Fives to deal with the door. Cuddling Chopper against his chest after a nasty fall, Fives stepped over the barrier and swiped the access panel, his smile growing as he dipping his head in respect.  
'Senator Amidala, what a pleasant surprise.' Fives offered, continuing to lightly stroke Chopper's back. 'Please, come in.'  
'Thank you Fives.' Padmé smiled, waiting for Fives to move the barrier before entering. 'I came here to ask if I could hire one of your brothers to help me again.'  
'Lost something important again, Senator?' Fives asked, grateful that his brothers had managed to hide all their plotting from Padmé.  
'A very special necklace I was given as a child. I have searched all the obvious places but I cannot find it. I was hopeful that one of your brothers might lend some assistance.' she nodded, looking around at the relaxed clones all around her.  
'I'll do it.' Chopper offered, turning in Fives' gentle hold. 'I'd be glad to help, Senator.'  
'Are you sure, Chopper?' Fives asked, wary of letting Chopper risk another injury.  
'I have to get back on the speeder so to speak.' Chopper nodded, looking up at Fives with a grin. 'I can't let one fall stop me from living my life.'  
'Alright then, if you're sure about this.' Fives agreed, carrying Chopper over to the stairs and setting him down at the top. 'Go get changed into something a little bit older. Remember what Fox said after he helped Senator Amidala retrieve her earrings that time?'  
'I remember. I will only take a few minutes, Senator.' Chopper replied, offering a respectful bow before turning and running towards the bedroom.

Sighing softly, Fives turned back to Senator Amidala just as Gregor came over to them rubbing at his shoulder. Taking a knee, Fives gathered Gregor into his hands and straightened again, his brother tucked safely into the crook of his elbow.  
'What happened Gregor?' Fives asked, lightly rubbing his left shoulder with one finger.  
'I slipped off the table.' Gregor replied, pointing towards the low table where some of the guys were playing a game Suu had suggested.  
'It's okay, we all have accidents. You just curl in close and rest, I'd say you just bruised it.' Fives soothed, continuing his gentle contact. 'I must ask that you're gentle with Chopper, Senator. He took a nasty fall on the stairs earlier, Kix cleaned him up but he's still feeling tender through his chest and shoulders.'  
'I will take care of him, Fives. You have no reason to be concerned, I will let no harm befall Chopper while he is in my care.' Padmé promised, smiling softly as Gregor snuggled into Fives' chest with a contented noise. 'Your brothers certainly seem to enjoy the comfort of being close to you when they are hurt.'  
'not just when they hurt, Senator, but whenever my brothers feel lost and frightened, they come to me for a hug and some gentle comfort.' Fives replied, gaze going to the table and the game. 'Try and stay away from the edge guys, we don't want too many injuries.'

Taking his time on the stairs this time, Chopper landed lightly on the carpet and ran back to Fives and Senator Amidala. Standing tall, he smiled softly as Senator Amidala knelt and carefully wrapped her hands around him, lifting him gently from the carpet and bringing him to her chest.  
'You've got your track-pack, Chopper?' Fives asked, looking up from Gregor.  
'Never go anywhere with out it.' Chopper nodded, turning and lifting the back of his shirt so Fives could see the device on his back. 'I'll be okay, Fives.'  
'I know, I'm just making sure I can't lose you in the chaos.' Fives chuckled, pulling his HUD glasses from the pocket sewn onto his left sleeve. 'Signal is clear, you're good to go, Chopper.'  
'You do not trust me, Fives?' Padmé asked, looking down at Chopper with a smile.  
'It's nothing personal, Senator. All of my brothers have a track-pack, displaying their location on my HUD glasses. Wherever they go, I can see their distance in every direction. This system can even tell me how many floors separate us in the building.' Fives explained, turning his covered gaze to her. 'Most of the time I don't need it but it reassures my brothers to know I'm watching.'  
'And always there to race in and save us if we get into trouble.' Gregor added, snuggling into Fives a little more. 'Makes us feel safe and protected again.'  
'It's not easy for them, being separated from the rest of the GAR like this. We're all wondering about brothers we left behind but there's no news coming in about the battles being fought.' Fives nodded, glancing towards the holocomm in the corner. 'But I'm sure you have plenty to do, Senator. I shouldn't keep you from your work.'  
'Yes, of course Fives. You likely have much to do as well. I will make sure Chopper is safe and return him tonight at the latest.' Padmé nodded, smiling softly as Fives reached out to curl two fingers around Chopper in a light hug. 'Hopefully it will not take long to search these last few places for my necklace.'  
'I'm sure it will turn up, Senator.' Fives grinned, escorting Padmé to the door and moving the barrier away for her. 'Have a good day, Senator Amidala.'  
'You as well Lieutenant.' Padmé replied, adjusting her tender hold on Chopper and striding away.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Leaving the transport droid at the end of Satine's overly large bed, Trigger and Tank climbed out quietly and darted over to her open wardrobe, matching smirks on their faces as they shimmied up the expensive fabrics and swung across to the smaller cabinet on one side of the expansive wardrobe. Climbing down the decorated corner, they were able to squeeze into the gap where the second drawer had been left open just a little.

Feeling around in the dim light coming in from the distant windows, they grabbed two items and started feeding them out of the drawer, listening as they fell to the floor with barely a sound. Climbing up to the top again, the pair leapt across to the hanging clothes nearby and slid down again, looking forward to seeing what Champion would do with their finds.

Grabbing their loot from where it had fallen, the pair dragged the two items back to the waiting droid and climbed aboard, hauling the silky cloth in behind them and making sure to tuck it in securely. Taking the controls, Tank guided the droid back towards the tunnels and chuckled, glancing back towards the bed and the sleeping Duchess.  
'You never should have messed with the GAR.' he uttered, disappearing back into the tunnels and heading for the secret rendezvous.  
'Say goodbye to your dignity.' Trigger added, taking a seat on their loot.

Darting through the narrow tunnels, the two little thieves met up with the second transport droid and grinned, jumping down to greet their squad brother with a warm hug.  
'So, what did you get?' Champion asked, approaching the still humming droid.  
'Not sure, we grabbed whatever we could find.' Tank shrugged, looking at their finds. 'I'm guessing its female underwear though.'  
'whatever it is, there's no chance she'll keep her mouth shut once word gets around it was found in a humiliating place for her.' Champion chuckled, digging through the layers of soft cloth. 'Head on home, vode, I'll be back as soon as I've put these on display.'  
'Be safe, vod.' Trigger replied, climbing into the second droid and taking the controls. 'C'mon Tank, we need to get back and brief Fives so he can react if anything goes wrong.'  
'We'll be waiting for you, vod.' Tank added, hugging Champion again for a moment before bounding into the droid and sinking down.

Zipping through the tunnels, Champion carefully considered his options before making his final choice on where to leave their stolen loot for the best effect. Smirking at the idea, he guided the modified droid towards the turbo system and directed it towards the main Senate hall before ducking down low and holding on for the ride. Entering the turbo system, the little droid was shaken in every direction as it plummeted down through the floors, its tiny onboard computer keeping track of their rapid descent.

Hitting the cushioning fields at the bottom of the shaft, the droid raced out of the turbo system as Champion shook his head and sat up, not sure he really wanted to do that again. Guiding the droid into the hall, he looked up at the decorative statues lining the walls and picked his spot carefully. This positioning had to be exact or the effect would be completely lost.  
'Payback time.' Champion uttered, running one thumb across the 327 tattoo on the right side of his neck. 'This is going to be great.'

Guiding the little droid over to his chosen target, Champion climbed out and grabbed the device hidden in the side compartments of the droid. Assembling the device, Champion grabbed the top item off the pile and attached it to the device securely. Taking a knee, he aimed the device up and fired it, sending the first piece flying up to snag on the statue.  
'No, that's not going to work.' he muttered, scowling at the positioning of the stolen item on the statue. 'So much for perfect aim.'

Fairly sure he wouldn't be able to climb the plinth the statue was standing on, Champion took a running leap at the wall behind the statue, grabbing at the gilt scrollwork flowing across the deep burgundy paint. Shimmying along the elegant design, he climbed up and around, glancing back over his shoulder every few steps to check his location against the statue. He could see an easy handhold not too far above his head and a clear path to the thrown underwear from that point.

Heaving his little body up another few inches, he again checked his location and nodded, bringing up his feet in readiness for the jump. He believed he'd made bigger jumps while full sized so really, this jump was nothing to be afraid of. Coiling up his muscles, he kicked off the wall and twisted around, watching the statue looming closer before he snagged the handhold he'd selected and thudded against the stone.

Climbing up the statue and dropping down to run along the outstretched arm, Champion grabbed the underwear from where they had fallen and dragged them along the arm, cursing when the soft cloth snagged and he had to go back to untangle it. Finally though, he hauled the underwear right out to the pointing fingers of this long forgotten Senator and pushed the cloth past his legs. Kneeling on the curled fingers of the stone hand, he stretched out and hooked the cloth around his extended finger three times before kicking the rest off to dangle freely.  
'Let's see anyone miss that one.' he chuckled, making his way back along the arm and down.

Picking his way back down the statue and leaping across to the wall, Champion landed safely and hurried back to the droid, packing away the launcher and looking for his next target. Selecting another fairly prominent statue, he fired up the droid and raced across the carpet, careful to avoid the security sweeps. Setting up the launcher again, he hooked up the second item and lifted his aim, lining up his target carefully.

Launching the second item high into the air, Champion couldn't help but laugh as it wrapped around the neck of the statue and stayed right there. It wasn't quite what he was aiming for, he'd been hoping to hook the item onto the fancy headdress the figure was wearing but around the neck was just as good.  
'Hopefully Fives will take us running before anyone can pull these down.' he muttered, breaking down the launcher and stowing it away again. Rubbing his eyes, he climbed back into the droid and gave it the order to return home.

~!~#~O~#~!~

Kitted out for his morning run, Fives kept the cart tucked close to his side as he stepped off the turbolift and headed towards the main exit. It was just like any other morning, Fives smiled and acknowledged the Senators around him as he headed for the grand entrance. It was peaceful really, a nice calm start to another morning of chaos. Fives was planning on confronting Satine later, he had enough evidence to support his challenge against her authority now. He couldn't outright confront her about the shrinkage of his brothers but he could at least let her know he was onto her and wouldn't back down until he had his answers.

Noticing the female under garments hanging from two of the statues in the grand hall, Fives fought hard to keep from laughing and looked down at his brothers. Champion was having a hard time keeping a straight face, snuggling in between Trigger and Tank to hide his amusement at the display he had provided.  
'Good morning, Lieutenant.' Senator Organa smiled, walking over towards Fives.  
'Good morning, Senator Organa.' Fives replied, settling into a parade rest and returning the smile easily. 'There seems to be a lot of activity here this morning.'  
'Do you know much about the creation of the Republic, Lieutenant?'  
'No Sir, it was never part of my training.' Fives offered, not quite sure where this was going.  
'The statues in this hall here represent the founding Senators of our great Republic. Back then, we had few non-human members in the Senate, as you can see.' Bail continued, sweeping his arm out to encompass the statues all around them. 'So for someone to drape their underwear on these statues is a grave insult to the history of the Senate and the Republic.'  
'I wonder who would dare show such disrespect.' Fives remarked, considering what had been said and filing away what he'd been told for later.  
'That's the main topic of conversation. Everyone is trying to decide who would be most likely to dare do something like this.' Bail shrugged, looking around the room slowly. 'No one seems to be able to agree on any one culprit.'  
'I can see how that could be frustrating.' Fives nodded, gaze snapping down when Champion cracked up laughing.  
'Bly was just telling us about a weird dream he had, it's okay Fives.' Wolffe replied, shaking his head slowly as he grinned.  
'I keep telling you Bly, no more sweet snacks before bed.' Fives chuckled, shifting his grip on the cart. 'I'm sure you will find an answer Senator. But if you would excuse us, it's time to take a run and burn off some excess energy.'  
'Of course, I would not want to upset your long help routine. Enjoy your run, Lieutenant.' Bail agreed, moving aside and smiling as Fives left the grand hall with his brothers.

Getting outside, Fives bit his tongue to keep from laughing until he was far enough from the Senate buildings to avoid being overheard. The moment he felt safe though, he sat down on the nearest bench and pulled the cart close before breaking into gales of laughter.  
'Nicely done, vode, very nicely done.' he grinned, resting one hand on the side of the cart. 'I think we all know what just happened.'  
'Thank you.' Champion replied, reaching out to slap his hand against Fives' finger. 'Let's see her recover her dignity after that one.'  
'That all depends on if she'll admit to owning the items.' Trigger shrugged, already starting to plot out his next heist.  
'Her face will give her away. There's no way she won't go bright red when she sees that.' Tank added, welcoming Champion back in against his side.


End file.
